Movie Script Ending
by BrookenLucas12
Summary: When Brooke and Lucas Scott's downfall first began, Nathan and Haley's was almost over. The affair that followed was enough to overthrow any and all of Tree Hill's already pending secrets.
1. A Failed Attempt

**New story, once again. I figured, now that I've finished one, why not make my life even more difficult and start up another one? See, I'm odd like that, lol. Anyway, please enjoy and leave reviews, and yeah, here's a bit of a background story: Okay, so everything that happened in seasons one+two did happen. After Brooke came back from California, after taking it slow for a while, her and Lucas finally did get together. Nathan and Haley got back together as well, but it's been a very bumpy road. Jake's gone, and it doesn't look like he'll be coming back, at least not until he finds Jenny. Him and Peyton have lost contact. Brooke and Lucas have stayed together for years. That's really all you need to know. The rest of the story will be explained, well, in the story. Once more, enjoy.**

**- **

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter One: A Failed Attempt**

Thick pelts of rain dropped down from the blue sky, so strong that they even left dents in the hoods of some cars. Animals forced to stay outside huddled beneath trees for shelter, and young children forced to stay inside pouted without end, so even their parents felt helpless.

Cafés and restaurants opened with arms spread wide. Hot chocolate and warm coffee seemed to be much more appealing then wet benches and cold rivers. Some kids walked to school with uncomfortable rubber rain boots and ponchos, frowns permanently embedded upon their faces, while others cavorted around in puddles, shrieking wildly with delight when they were splashed by a friend.

One of the many occupants of the small town sat staring out the window of her large house, so alike to others around hers. Her hazel green eyes focused on the gloomy site before her, and she remembered a time when she had once loved rain.

She'd been nine. A pretty brunette with perfectly straight chocolate brown hair. And she'd run around with her best friend in the rain until she was completely drenched, and her mother would shout out orders to the latest maid to clean up behind her as she entered the house.

And then makeup had been invented. And suddenly, going out into the rain and allowing dark streaks of mascara to cascade down your face seemed like the least appealing thing. At least to her.

Brooke Davis-Scott bit her lip, and ran her fingers over the cold, foggy window. She sighed and turned away, rubbing her hands up and down her chilled arms slowly. The fireplace and the heater combined didn't even seem to be able to give her enough heat.

She heard footsteps and her eyes immediately went to the man before her. Light hair, blue eyes, tall, handsome. A faint smile formed on her glossy lips, and she turned once more towards the window.

"Think it'll snow this year?" Lucas asked her, and her vision focused on him once more.

"Probably not," She shrugged, "It hasn't snowed in years."

"I remember the last time it snowed." A boyish grin grew on her husband's face, and she was suddenly reminded of their teenage years. She'd tried so hard to stay the person she'd been then, and yet, she felt herself slipping away- become like every other Tree Hillian Stepford Wife.

But his words couldn't stop her own familiar grin from appearing. "It was the winter of our senior year."

"You wanted to go ice skating." He moved his body closer to hers, and already she felt warmer.

"And you didn't."

"No. But I did anyway." He chuckled. She'd always been extremely persuasive.

Brooke felt herself inch closer to him as well. It was like being pulled by a magnet.

"Because I can be," She paused, looking deep into his eyes, "So persuasive."

"One of your best qualities.."

When they finally reached each other, he was the first to move in, moving his lips onto hers. They kissed slowly, and he held her closely as she brought her arms around his broad shoulders.

They pulled apart, and she rested her head against his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of that cologne she'd always loved.

"I wish it would snow again." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Me too, Baby, me too."

To the ones that watched around them, Brooke and Lucas seemed like the perfect couple. They were both young and good looking, and had been together since high school. It was like a storybook romance. But it was different for the couple. They knew their flaws well, and only attempted to hide it from the outside world.

A knock on the door sounded loudly through the quiet home, and Brooke quickly pulled away from her husband, managing to wipe away the few tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Brooke-" Lucas began, inwardly cursing at the person who'd broken their brief alliance.

"It's okay. I promised Peyton I'd call her back anyway." She quickly scurried away, and Lucas hung his head, defeated.

The knocking persisted. Lucas chewed on his lip before walking to the door. He pulled it open and cocked his towards the side, getting a good look at the person in his doorway.

It was his brother, shivering and completely drenched in water. The hood of his pale blue sweatshirt was lifted over his head in an attempt to block out any rain, but it had been just that- an attempt. Water ran down from his dark hair to the bottom of his chin.  
"I'm not getting any drier out here, you know." Through chattering teeth, the younger Scott brother managed to say.

"Oh, sorry." Lucas pulled the door back farther, so that his brother could step in. The second he walked through the door, Nathan pulled off his soaking sweat shirt and, rubbed his hands together, warming them.

Lucas saved the sweatshirt before it touched the perfectly white carpet, and made sure to put Nathan's discarded shoes next to the front door. Nathan was rapidly shedding clothing as he walked deeper into the house.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked as a shirt hit him square in the chest.

"Had another fight with Haley," Nathan shrugged, "And I just had to get out of there. Hey, do you have some clothes I can borrow? I'm really cold."

Feeling the tiniest bit sorry for his brother, who's problems seemed to be worse then his own at the moment, Lucas nodded, and quickly got some fresh clothing. The second his brother was completely dressed, Lucas found it to be the right time to pry.

"What'd you fight about this time?"

"I was getting ready to go for a jog and she just exploded. Said I wasn't helping around the house enough or something fucked up like that. I don't listen anymore."

Lucas nodded quietly, and looked down, suddenly taking interest in his shoes. Nathan took notice of his brother's awkward tendency and quickly changed the subject.

"How's Brooke?"

"She's- I don't know. Things have been different lately, and uh, not in a good way. We were kind of sharing a moment when you knocked on the door."

"Damn. I'm sorry. I knew I should have called. I was just out in the rain, and I didn't know what to do, so-"

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to call. I just wish that she would go back to before. That we could go back to before."

"I'm sure you will. At some point. Maybe she just needs time." Nathan said this quietly, knowing fully well it probably wasn't true.

"Time." Lucas repeated the word faintly. Time had passed. Too much time had passed. And he'd let it.

There were a few moments of silence, before the two boys heard footsteps, and Brooke appeared in the room, a cheery smile pasted fakely to her pretty lips.

"Hi Nathan."

"Hey Brooke." Nathan could see right through her fake smile, but that didn't stop him from answering.

"Can I get you boys something to eat?"

"Brooke, you don't cook." Lucas chuckled, and she looked down at the ground, blushing.

"I thought I'd try to pick it up." She giggled softly. Lucas basked in the sound.

"I'd try any of the food you made." He offered.

"I'll keep that in mind."

And with a smile, she was gone.

"See? Things aren't that bad, Man."

"They aren't bad," Lucas agreed, "They just aren't the same."

Lucas and Brooke had been together exactly five and a half years, with breaks in-between. It had started one night so innocently -or rather, not innocently- when she'd popped up in his car half naked one night after he'd scored the winning point at a basketball game.

Instantly, he'd been attracted yet intimidated by the brunette cheerleader. She was pretty, experienced, and even outgoing. Lucas was her exact opposite. Brooke flirted with Lucas constantly, but with his mind completely focused on Peyton Sawyer, her best friend, he'd never paid much attention to her.

And then one night, after hours of talking, he'd felt a spark. A date later, he was no longer a virgin and could proudly say he'd gotten a tattoo; a Chinese symbol for fun. Brooke and Lucas's relationship had been all about fun and chance. And then Brooke had fallen- hard.

Lucas's mind was still wrapped around what he couldn't have. And what he couldn't have, at this moment, was Peyton. Stupidity had taken it's course on the young man, and pretty soon, him and Peyton were making out on the side, with poor Brooke being dragged along.

She found out about the affair shortly after a car accident Lucas had been involved in, and it had crushed her heart. She'd closed herself up after that, only indulging in meaningless sex, and allowing herself to take parts in a 'friends with benefits' relationship.

Soon after his mistake, Lucas found himself alone and in love with Brooke. With some encouraging words from his recently married brother, Lucas set off to proclaim is everlasting love for Brooke, in hopes she'd feel the same. Only, as he'd walked towards her room, he could hear the muffled words of someone else proclaiming their love.

Felix Tagarro and Brooke Davis became a couple, and Lucas was left alone and hurt. He tried to be her friend, and she recuperated the friendship gladly. His secret feelings constantly got in the way, and he was overjoyed when she'd broken up with Felix, and even more overjoyed to find out she didn't care about the ex.

When Brooke's father was offered a job in California, Lucas begged his mother to allow Brooke to stay in their house, while he lived with his father. Karen Roe, aware of her son's feelings for the petite brunette, allowed the girl to move in.

It was when she was leaving to California for the summer, however, that Lucas made his move. Right as her cab pulled up, honking it's horn loudly, he kissed her, told her he wanted to be with her, and searched her eyes for a reaction.

Overcome with emotion, Brooke fled to California, hoping that Lucas would give her space. He did, and when she returned, they agreed to take it slow. After a month of friendship and an occasional kiss, Lucas and Brooke got back together officially.

They spent senior year blissfully. They were a happy couple, and won 'Cutest Couple' in the yearbook, as well as Prom King and Queen.

Lucas became close to his brother again, and even started up another relationship with his father, who he kept at a distance.

After graduation, Brooke set off to Durham, where she would attend Duke University along with her best friend, Peyton. Lucas found himself in Raleigh, attending North Carolina State, along with his good friends Mouth, Tim, and Skills.

True love prevailed, and after three and a half years at NCA, Lucas traveled towards Durham, and proposed to Brooke. They were married in a large ceremony with both their families and friends in attendance.

They'd been so happy then. Every twist and turn had been fresh and unexpected, even as they had both decided to return home to Tree Hill to start their lives. Lucas became a businessman, doing stocks and such of all sorts, while Brooke settled on being a stay at home wife, with hopes of a future in fashion.

They had been happy. And why wouldn't they be? They had each other. They had their friends. They had a nice life. What more could they have possibly wanted?

And now, now everything was so different. Lucas wanted to get back to that point so badly, and so did Brooke, but it just seemed impossible. There was no way it could possibly could.

Not with what had happened.


	2. A Perfect Example of the End

_Thanks so much for all the reviews, already! I was so surprised to receive so many. Thanks so much for the feedback, and I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, as much as I did writing it. This chapter is dedicated to **Amber**, for being pretty much the coolest person-ever._

_-_

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Two: A Perfect Example of The End**

The last droplets of rain the sky had to offer fell briefly, as Nathan hurried up the steps of his and Haley's apartment. Once he had finally reached shelter - like magic - the rain stopped.

He pushed his hood off, and blinked. "Son of a bitch.."

It wasn't long before he remembered what he was doing there, and he quickly made his way towards his apartment. Slipping his key in the lock quietly, he slid the door open, hoping Haley had gone out shopping.

No such luck. No sooner as he'd opened the door, the petite woman appeared from the bedroom.

Mid length auburn locks down, the girl frowned at the site of her husband, her hands instinctively landing on her hips.

"Nathan, you can't always just run out in the middle of a fight." Here she went. Starting another argument - again.

"I went to Brooke and Lucas's." He peeled off his soaking shoes, and then pulled off his sweatshirt.

Her facial expression softened. "Oh. How are they?"

"Fine." He shrugged.

"That's, that's.." Haley trailed off, and looked down.

"So, did anyone call for me while I was gone?" He made his way over to the answering machine.

"Why?" Haley challenged, "Were you expecting someone?"

"Yeah," Nathan made a face, "My lover. I'm sure she said she'd call around the time I was gone."

"Oh, you're hilarious." His wife frowned, walking back towards the kitchen.

"Who says I'm kidding?"

"Nathan, just stop."

"Well why shouldn't I be having an affair? I mean, you always accuse me of doing so anyway."

"I do not." Haley said stubbornly, stirring something that smelled delicious. Nathan was tempted to ask her for some, but decided that would somehow be surrendering.

"Okay," Nathan chuckled, "Except you do."

"Whatever. I'm not having this argument with you."

"Oh, so when you want to leave a fight, it's okay. But when I do, you rip my head off?" What the hell? Why was she so weird?

"Fine! Fine, the reason I ask you if you're having an affair is because you don't make love to me anymore! Ever! You never even ask! You just go on your merry way. And I know you, Nathan Scott. You have to be getting it somewhere!" Tears began their journey as they formed in her hazel eyes.

Nathan looked down at the floor. He hadn't known that she'd wanted to, and yet he supposed he hadn't cared either. He'd simply expected her to not want it, and had therefore forced himself not to as well.

"Hales, I didn't know that you still-"

"Loved you? Well I am married to you, aren't I?" A small smile formed on her lips, despite herself. She wiped her tears away, and continued to cook.

They were silent as Haley cooked and Nathan just sat, on the laptop checking his e-mails. After a while, he looked towards her. She wasn't an inch over five foot three, and she wore a red dress that stopped just above her knees. Her auburn hair was down, and silky looking, and he could almost see her pretty eyes; sad and lonely.

Nathan rose and stood next to her. She looked up at him curiously, and he smiled.

"Need any help?"

"Sure." She nodded slowly, but a smile lit up her face nonetheless.

Nathan and Haley were one of those couples that had been together forever. They'd gotten together during their junior year of high school, after much debate. This was, of course, because he was popular, and she was merely his tutor.

They'd pulled through. And drama had occurred. She'd gotten a tattoo of the number '23' on her lower back, and he had tried not to pressure her into sex. They'd had a sweet relationship.

And one day, at some point during that fateful year, he'd asked her to marry him. She'd said yes, and after getting the permission of her parents, Haley became Mrs. Haley James-Scott.

They were happy for a while.

And then Chris Keller happened. Tall, scrawny, and ruggedly good looking, Chris entered her life and gave her the opportunity to do something she'd always wanted; sing.

It had started out so innocently, but not really. Chris had been attracted to Haley from the start, she'd just been the last to know this. Pretty soon, he'd kissed her, and she was living with the guilt.

When she finally did tell Nathan, it was the night she went off on tour with him. This left Nathan, who had finally opened up his heart for someone, completely broken. He'd changed into a monster, and the only person that could change him, was Haley.

He'd hated her. Hated her so much. He had painted their apartment ceiling pink, because he knew she hated the color, and had put up a picture of a clown, because he knew they freaked her out.

Nathan Scott was hurting badly. Then she came home. Out of the blue. Told him the tour meant nothing without him there. And after months of trying to work it out, they were together. Together and happy.

That was years ago, when they were barely seventeen. They'd both gone to college at a community college, because it was all that they could afford, and Nathan had become an architect; a failed architect. He hadn't ever really had work, but he was working hard to draw up something that would be amazing. That would make him and Haley millionaires, or something close to that. Haley had remained at Karen's Café, finally becoming the co-owner of the business with Nathan's mother, and Lucas's.

They'd been happy for a while. And now, at twenty-two, they weren't so much. Their fights were getting more frequent, and even more pointless. They never made love, and they hardly ever cuddled or held each other.

And although Nathan would never admit it, he missed his old life. Back before she'd left on the tour. Back when she'd come home. Back when he was still so sure he was in love with her.


	3. A Girl Interrupted

Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm still completely surprised that this story has so far been well liked. Anyway, I just want everyone to know that it's going to be a long ride. How long, I'm not exactly sure. But it'll be dramatic, with multiple storylines happening, and just - yeah. I hope everyone stays around to see how it all ends. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys and reviews.

-

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Three: Girl Interrupted  
**

Peyton Sawyer dropped a cardboard box onto the floor of her new home, sighing softly as it hit the ground with a thud.

She kicked at it with her foot while observing the house quietly. It was too big. She was just one person, and yet she knew there was at least one extra bedroom.

Why had she purchased it again? Peyton knew she could answer that question herself. She'd always grown up in a large, empty house, why not do it again? Plus, this could be fun; decorating her own new swinging pad.

Right. Decorating her own new swinging pad by herself. Oh, she could just see the great times she'd have now. While usually, the idea of being alone was almost comforting, Peyton found herself wishing her best friend was there.

She'd told Brooke she would be moving today, but Brooke had seemed distant on the phone, as usual. So, of course, she was moving by herself.

Peyton dropped down onto a sofa she'd brought from her old place, and looked up at the ceiling. She tugged at her blonde curls, reaching just below her shoulders now, and remembered senior year, when she'd cut them off, straightening them. Oh how she'd hated that look for herself. She'd always liked her curls.

Singing a song quietly to herself, Peyton heard a knock on the door, and jumped up. She already had visitors?

Straightening out her black tank top and jeans, Peyton walked towards the door slowly, opening with caution. It had seemed like a very nice neighborhood, but you could never really tell these days.

On the other side stood a tall unfamiliar boy. Dark hair with soft blue eyes complemented his face well. He wore a striped blue and white shirt, with a pair of jeans that fit his body well, and worn out converse sneakers.

Peyton leaned herself against the door frame, and looked up at him questioningly.

"Hi, I'm David."

"Peyton." She nodded.

"I live next door. I thought I'd come say hi to my new neighbor, or neighbors. I don't know.."

"No, it's just me." Peyton regretted the words instantly after she'd said them. What if he was some crazy rapist?

"Oh. Okay, so hi."

Peyton chuckled. He didn't seem like a rapist. He was actually kind of cute. "Hi. Thanks for coming."

"No problem. I know that I would have been less intimidated if someone had said hi to me when I first moved into the neighborhood." He smiled.

"You live by yourself too?" Oh no. What if he thought she was like, prying so that she could ask him out or something?

"Yeah. I used to live with my girlfriend Ally, but we broke up, so now it's just me."

"Oh."

"Sorry. I don't want you to think I'm like, hitting on you or anything.." He trailed off nervously, looking down at his feet.

"That's okay." He was very cute.

"So, welcome to the neighborhood." David said kindly.

"Thanks." Peyton smiled warmly, and shut the door.

The smile fell from her face as she looked back at the mass of boxes and randomly strewn furniture.

This was just great.

-

After unpacking for hours and hours, Peyton finally decided to take a break and make some food.

Fixing herself some pasta, Peyton took a seat at the bar in the kitchen table, and flipped on her radio, allowing any and all sounds to flow through.

An Eels song began to play, and Peyton smiled softly, humming along with it. Then, sadly, she looked around the room. At how empty it was.

She'd never felt so alone before. Not even when she had no one, and had turned to drugs, Peyton had never felt so lonely.

It was sad, really. That this had become her life. Sighing, Peyton dropped her head onto her hand, biting her lip to stop the tears from falling.

Peyton had been born twenty-two years ago, on a snowy November morning to her parents, Larry and Anna Sawyer - or so she had thought. Truth was, she'd been born in the backseat of beat up old car, when her birth mother, Ellie Harp, had then dropped her off at the hospital, briefly meeting the future parents of her little girl, before walking out of the hospital, leaving the life she could have had behind.

Peyton didn't know this, and grew up a happy child for the most part. She became best friends with a pretty brunette, Brooke Davis, and enjoyed her childhood. Her happy childhood came to an abrupt halt when she was just seven, and her mother had passed away.

Poor little Peyton Sawyer had changed that day. Her favorite music was no longer The Spice Girls or Mandy Moore, but the Ramones and The Sex Pistols. She no longer wore happy Barbie sneakers, but black vans and converse. Her artwork was no longer of happy children and ponies, but of pain and heartbreak.

High school finally came around, and even at fourteen years old, Peyton was an outsider, forced to be a cheerleader by the captain, no other then Brooke. According to Brooke, Peyton was hot, so she had no reason not to join.

And she was pretty. With her beautiful blonde curls that went a couple inches below her shoulders, and her pretty green eyes. She stood no taller then five feet six, and could definitely fill out her cheerleading uniform. Over the summer, her hips had shown, and her thighs had thickened nicely, leaving her with a perfect shape.

This was why it was almost no shock when Nathan Scott asked her out. Good looking, dark hair, and the captain of the basketball team, Nathan made Peyton feel special. They just clicked, as weird as it sounded. They had less then nothing in common, but they fell in love, or so they thought.

Peyton lost her virginity to Nathan at fifteen, and it wasn't a year later that they decided it wasn't working out. Actually, he'd crashed her car and then pretended he didn't do it, and then they'd broken up.

Of course, at this point, Peyton was already clicking with Lucas, Nathan's half brother. That didn't work out as he moved onto Brooke, and then back to her, while he was with Brooke.

Peyton and Brooke's friendship was over for a little while, until Brooke finally forgave Peyton, and she promised herself she'd never make the same mistake with a boy.

And then - And then there was Jake. Him. The one for her. Whatever you wanted to call it. Jake was that to her. She feel quick and hard. He stopped her from making so many mistakes, she couldn't even count.

She hadn't spoken to him in years, and yet, she still missed him so much. She still loved him with every inch of her body, and couldn't let go, despite her best efforts.

After he'd gone, things had just gotten worse. Ellie Harp, her birth mother, had shown up, causing havoc in Peyton's life. After confirming her worst fears with her father, Peyton tried as hard as she could to keep Ellie out of her life.

But then, she decided she didn't want to. It couldn't hurt to get to know her, right? Well, she'd been wrong. It had been worse. Ellie had turned out to be amazing, a great person. A person who'd just had a few problems, and had lost her daughter in the midst of them all.

Peyton had loved her. Now, she hadn't been her mother. Anna had been her most favorite person in the world, her true mother. But Ellie, her birth mother, had been a sort of substitute. Peyton really had loved her.

And then one day, she'd died. Peyton had taken it harder then expected, but had as always, moved on. But not really, though. It was just a part of her she never opened up or thought of. A part of her past she just wanted to forget.

Peyton got accepted to Duke University, and had attended happily with her best friend. She'd experienced brief relationships with randoms, but none of them ever meant anything. And she'd never expected them to. Because they weren't with him.

After college, Peyton had moved to a small apartment in Tree Hill, and had still not known what she wanted to do with herself. She wanted to draw, yes. But was that enough?

The answer came to her one day while she was out in the town, shopping. Of all the ideas in the world, this was the one Peyton expected the least; a fashion designer.

Peyton had always loved art and designing, but it had never occurred to her that this would be something she'd want to do for a living. She started with designing a couple shirts. They were usually plain, with some beautiful, artsy design in the center.

After a few people showed some interest in her shirts, Peyton decided to start a website, where she could see her products. Her label was called, 'Punk and Disorderly', and was popular from the start.

Peyton received great feedback for her shirts, and eventually decided to start making jeans as well. Different kinds; jeans with small designs, jeans that were ripped, jeans that were discolored. And when her jeans got big, Peyton started up all other kinds of things.

Pretty soon, Peyton was getting too many orders to handle, and so she scraped up all the cash she had gotten for her site, and bought a shop.

Now, at twenty-two, Peyton was getting wealthy, and was already extremely successful with 'Punk and Disorderly'. She was making great profits, and had made some good friends, too.

But still, she was alone.

And something told her, that all of her unhappiness was for a reason.

That Jake Jaglieski sure could leave an impact on a girl.


	4. The Haunted Mansion

**Sorry for not updating in a while. I'm going to try to make it more frequent. Anyway, a lot of you want to know what happened to Brooke, but I can't tell you. At least not for a little while. You'll find out soon enough. And there are hints everywhere, so look for those. Anyway, the story's gotten a bunch of reviews, and I'm loving them, and would love for a bunch more. Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it.**

-

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Four: The Haunted Mansion**

The elder Scott's mansion had always managed to terrify Brooke. It wasn't just huge. It was like, the house had it's own secrets, not including those of the evil man inside, and his pretty, pill-popping wife.

Even though the rain had stopped, the house still gave off an eerie appearance with it's perfectly cut hedges, and precisely painted white walls. Brooke shot a look towards her handsome husband, who stood beside her, swallowing hard.

He was so good looking with his short blonde locks, and the un-tucked blue dress shirt fitted with a loose black tie. His dark pants covered his white sneakers, that had managed to stay their color despite the earth's puddles and rain.

Lucas's grip on Brooke's hand tightened, and she looked down at her own clothes, making sure everything was in place. Her perfect, beaded, black dress went right above her knees, and her black pumps looked just as they should.

"I don't want to visit your father, Lucas." Brooke spoke quietly, absentmindedly running her hands over her stomach, and then stopping herself.

"I don't either. But we planned this lunch like, two months ago." Lucas sighed, looking over at his timid wife.

They were silent for a few moments, both thinking completely separate thoughts. Brooke's eyes traveled over the property, and she suddenly became terrified. She didn't want to visit Deb and Dan Scott.

"They blame me." She said suddenly, and Lucas looked towards her, watching tears fill her olive green eyes.

"No, they don't-"

"Yes they do!" Brooke cried, closing her eyes, "You know they do."

"No one blames you, Brooke. It wasn't your fault."

The brunette still didn't look too convinced as she looked down at her high heeled shoes, digging her heel's into the ground. Lucas squeezed her hand, and Brooke looked up towards him.

"I'm scared. I don't like it here, Lucas." She seemed so lost. So afraid. He wanted to take her home, right then. Screw his father! Screw Deb and their expensive lunch!

As he was about to turn, so that they could leave, the couple heard the sound of a door opening. Looking up, both saw Dan standing by the door, that Cheshire Cat grin so perfectly placed on his face.

"Brooke! Lucas! So glad you could make it. I saw your car pull up minutes ago, and you've been out here forever!" He seemed like such a nice gentleman. But anyone that knew Dan Scott knew that it was just a game to him. Everyone was simply a puppet, and him the puppet master.

Lucas couldn't remember his reasons for allowing his father back into his life. It'd been senior year. His mother could barely scrounge up enough money to help her son into college, when Dan had offered to pay.

Lucas hadn't wanted his father to pay. He knew that there would be a price in return for this "kind gesture". But he went along with it. He became closer to the older man.

And now, years later, here he was. Standing outside his father's house, staring into those blue eyes, so alike to his own, regretting ever accepting his money in the first place.

"Son? Are you okay? You look like you've flown off to another universe." Dan chuckled at his own joke, and Brooke gripped her husband's hand tighter, hoping for a response.

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about work." Lucas lied, slowly taking steps towards the house.

"That's my boy. Nothing like that brother of yours." Over the years, Lucas had developed a closer relationship to Dan then Nathan, who had slowly drifted away from his father's wishes. Nathan and Dan rarely spoke, if ever. And Lucas had succumbed to pressure, and had become Dan's little chess piece.

Brooke and Lucas entered the house, and Dan closed the door, the grin never leaving his face for one second.

"Brooke Darling, how are you? You look healthy." He squeezed her hand. She felt as if she would throw up.

"I'm fine. How are you, Dan?"

"I'm great. The wife and I are finally getting along." He burst into a fit of laughter, and Lucas smiled as well, but Brooke frowned, not finding his words the slightest bit funny. Deb had tortured herself, staying married to the son of a bitch, and he was just going to continue treating her like dirt, because that was the kind of asshole he was.

Footsteps echoed through the large house, and suddenly Deb Scott appeared in the foyer. She looked tired, to say the least. Pounds of makeup had been applied below her eyes to hide bags, and the pain the came with them. Brooke knew that behind all that stuff that was caked on, behind all the perfection and beauty, Deb was in pain. Deb was secretly alone, and hurting. Brooke knew the feeling exactly.

"Brooke, Lucas," She greeted warmly, "So glad you two could make it. I tried calling Nathan and Haley, but-"

"Sweetie, let's not think about the drama that is Nathan and Haley. Let's just enjoy Brooke and Lucas's time here." Dan draped an arm around Deb's shoulders, and she seemed to sag inwardly.

"Deb, the house looks great." Brooke offered to her step mother in law, a hopeful smile on her face.

Deb's spirits seemed to lift some. "I re-decorated it myself. I was thinking I'd maybe become some sort of an interior decorator. I love the job."

"You would be a great one, Honey. I support your decision completely." Dan kissed his wife quickly on the lips.

Lucas cast a glance at his own wife, who looked severely uncomfortable. He leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek, and whispered softly in her ear, "I'll try to make this as quick as possible."

She smiled thankfully, and tugged at his tie as he began to stand up straighter, pulling him back down, so that she could plant a kiss on his lips. He smiled and kissed her back for a few seconds, before pulling away. Things were looking up.

"You two are such a great couple." Dan smirked. Jealousy laced his voice, but you wouldn't be able to tell. He was quite a good actor.

"Thanks." Brooke said quietly, leaning in to Lucas's chest, and clasping their hands once more.

"So, let's sit, shall we? Deb cooked an amazing lunch. She's become quite the chef." Dan complemented his wife, but she looked as if she wasn't buying it, and simply nodded towards Brooke and Lucas.

The four walked towards the extravagant dining room located inside the large mansion, decorated with winter colors to fit the December afternoon.

"I love the colors." Brooke told Deb nicely.

"Thanks. I saw them in a magazine, and I knew that it would complement this room."

"You should definitely be an interior decorator. You could help me with our guest room. I still haven't figured out what I want to do with it." Brooke laughed lightly, and Deb smiled, seeing right through her daughter in law's attempts at making conversation.

"Brooke, would you like to help me in the kitchen?"

"I'd love to." She'd have much rather spent with Deb then with the devil himself. Especially while he was acting so innocent. That's when you knew he was plotting something big.

The two women shuffled off towards the kitchen, and Deb smiled at the pretty young girl. In some ways, Brooke reminded her of herself. A much stronger version of herself.

Like Brooke could see through Deb's eyes, Deb could also see through Brooke's.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," Deb began quietly as she watched Brooke fiddle with her fingers, "But how are you doing, really? You look so unhappy. I mean, you look beautiful on the outside. But you can only really tell how unhappy someone is if they're as unhappy as you are."

"I'm fine."

Deb didn't look away from Brooke, and feeling like she would explode, Brooke averted her gaze elsewhere.

"I uh," She began, "I really love Lucas."

"I know you do, Sweetie. And I'll admit it. The man is a son of a bitch, and sometimes I hate him more then life. Sometimes I wish he died. But I'll always have a love for him in my heart."

"But see, Lucas didn't do anything wrong. Lucas isn't Dan at all."

"I know. But that doesn't change that you're hurting."

"I wish things could go back to before. Before-" Brooke was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. She glanced up at Deb, confused, but the older blonde merely shrugged her shoulders.

The two walked to the front door together, and Deb pulled the door open. She let out an excited gasp as she saw who was at the door. She jumped into her son's awaiting arms, and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Who is it, Deb? Oh.." Dan had come from the dining room, Lucas trailing behind. When he saw his son at the door, his cheerful mood seemed to deflate a little.

"Nathan, I can't believe you're here!" Brooke searched through Deb's eyes as she spoke to her son. And for the first time that day, she could see happiness.

"Well you called and asked us to come for lunch today, so we decided, why not? Is that okay?"

"Of course, Sweetheart. Haley, you look beautiful." Deb's eyes went towards her other daughter in law, who smiled shyly and thanked her politely.

"Well, well. If it isn't my son. Haven't spoken to you in years." Dan seemed to be joking, but no one laughed.

"Nice to see you too, Dad." Nathan stepped into the house, and Haley followed closely behind.

There was an awkward silence between the six, none of them knowing what to say.

Finally, Dan clapped his hands together, and allowed his grin to grow.

"Let's eat."


	5. When An Awkward Situation Presents

**Sorry for once again taking a while to update. This chapter is sort of short, but yeah. I kind of like it. Anyway, I hope everyone likes it, and reviews. I've been getting quite a few reviews, so if everyone could keep 'em coming, I'd be pretty happy. Thanks.**

**-**

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Five: When An Awkward Situation Presents Itself**

The table had been silent. Ever since the arrival of Haley and Nathan, things had simply gotten worse. To call it awkward would be an understatement. Brooke had managed to keep her eyes down on to her plate for the entire lunch, so far. Not that it really mattered. No one was really paying attention to anything except their food.

Deb had simply received complements on her cooking, and then the table had fallen silent. Everyone had been holding their breath, wondering who the first degrading comment would be made towards.

"Nate, could you pass the mashed potatoes?" Lucas asked his brother quietly. Everyone around the table silently thanked him for being the one to break the silence.

"Sure. Here you go." Nathan handed him the bowl, and then looked around the table. His eyes landed on his sister in law. The poor girl looked as if she were about to explode. Frankly, he didn't blame her.

Dan looked over at Lucas, a smile crossing over his features. The man was everything he'd ever hoped for in a son. He was good looking, responsible, rich, and still talented at basketball.

Then his eyes landed on Nathan, the son he'd raised for sixteen years. A frown grew on his face. How ungrateful Nathan had always been never ceased to amaze him. And what he'd become was just a disgrace to the family. Married at sixteen, and now a man of absolutely nothing. The boy still lived in a cramped one bedroom apartment, for God's sake!

"So," Dan smirked, "How's it been going, Nathan?"

"It's been fine, Dad."

"Still an 'architect'?" Dan used air quotes around the word 'architect', causing everyone at the table to roll their eyes. He'd always managed to find a way to degrade his son.

"Yeah. And apparently you're still an asshole." Haley quietly scolded her husband, but it was to no avail.

Dan simply laughed. "This coming from the man that lives off his wife's paycheck."

"Oh, you are so out of line." Deb spoke through gritted teeth.

Lucas, always the peacemaker, attempted to stop the family. "Come on, Guys. Not now."

"Honestly Nathan, is there no way you can possibly be like your brother?" Dan gestured towards Lucas.

"Dan!" Deb's fists tightened.

"That's funny, Dad. Up until a few years ago, all you ever told me was that you were happy I wasn't like him.." Nathan chuckled.

"Look, this was obviously a mistake. Maybe we should just go.." Haley stood, but Deb held out a hand to stop her.

"Nonsense. I invited you two to this lunch because I wanted you here. Don't let Dan's childish behavior push you away."

"Deb," Dan laughed, "I'd hardly call it childish. I'm just saying-"

"I know what you're saying, Dan."

Lucas sighed. "Deb.."

"It's not your place, Lucas." The blonde woman replied, her eyes never leaving her husband's.

"Don't say that to him. Lucas is just as much a part of this family as Nathan.."

The arguing continued once more between the two parties. Lucas and Haley attempted to make peace, and interject a few times, but it was for no reason. The table was soon full of insults and anger being thrust around.

Tears filled Brooke's eyes, and she scolded herself mentally. "I need to use the restroom." She excused herself.

Lucas sighed, but let her go. She wasn't heard by anyone else, really, because the table was so loud compared to her quiet voice.

Nathan watched after her. She'd been through so much. Over the years, and especially now. And from the looks of it, she was breaking. Brooke Davis-Scott was no longer the happy-go-lucky girl she'd been in high school.

"Uh, I have to go to the bathroom." He stood, following in her general direction.

He found her in one of the many bathrooms of the house. The door was slightly ajar, and she sat with her back against the bath tub, her legs stretched out in front of her.

He smiled softly, and took a seat beside her.

"Are you okay?" He asked carefully, after a few moments.

"I'm fine. Thanks." She smiled - but it was fake. He wondered if all her smiles had been fake, over the years.

"Sorry about everything in there. That's the last thing you deserve."

"It's okay." She shrugged.

Nathan looked over her profile. Her face had a really pretty shape. She had a perfect nose, and her lips were located at exactly the right place beneath it.

"You don't have to lie to me, Brooke."

She bit her lip. "Why does everyone always think I'm lying when I say I'm okay? Nathan, if I said I was fine, I meant it!"

"Alright, I'm sorry. I just get worried about you sometimes, Brooke."

"I'm sure."

"Come on, don't be like that," She almost smiled, turning to look him in the eyes, "You know you've always been my friend. Since like, the fifth grade. I care about you, whether or not you believe me."

"Thanks." A genuine smile crossed over her lips. It was tiny; barely enough to show the large dimples in her cheeks.

"I know that everything's been tough for you lately. But I want you to know I'm here. I'm not just your husband's brother, you know." He nudged her, and she giggled.

"Thanks, Nate."

He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him so that he could place a kiss on her forehead.

"I miss the old you, Brooke Davis." He whispered against her hair.

"Me too." A solitary tear ran down her cheek.

The two stood up, and Brooke nodded thankfully, before leaving. He watched after her and sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bath tub.

Now, to deal with his own problems..

-

"Thanks for lunch, Deb." Brooke hugged her mother-in-law awkwardly.

"Thank you for coming, Brooke. I'm so sorry things turned out the way they did."

"Don't sweat it." She grabbed Lucas's hand, pulling him towards the door.

"Lucas," Deb stopped him, "Um, today, I didn't mean-"

"I know," Lucas smiled warmly, reaching out to give her a hug, "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Deb nodded, squeezing his shoulder. "You have a great heart, Lucas. And you too, Brooke. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you two."

"Thanks, Deb."

The two left quickly, and as they drove off, Lucas turned towards Brooke.

"That wasn't as bad as it could have been, was it?"

"No. Not quite that bad." Brooke said, remembering her conversation with Nathan.


	6. With All That's Happened

**Author's Note:** _I'm surprisingly happy with this chapter. Hope you are too. It's pretty revealing. Tells you a lot of stuff everyone's wanted to know. It's pretty jam packed with other stuff too, and I hope everyone enjoys._

**Oh, and PS:**_ Hilary, this goes out to you._

_- _

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Six: With All That's Happened**

"Are you okay?" Brooke looked up towards the sound. She'd been sitting on their bed, thinking, when Lucas had walked in. It had been an hour since their disaster of a lunch, and although she'd tried to play it off as if it hadn't been completely terrible, Brooke had not enjoyed it - at all.

Her brief encounter with Nathan had been the only highlight of the afternoon; and not even an amazing one at that.

"I'm fine." She pulled off her shoes, climbing back onto the bed. All she wanted to do was sleep. She didn't care that she was in her expensive dress, or that she was wearing makeup. All Brooke wanted to do, was pull back the covers, crawl deep into her warm bed, and sleep for days.

"Are you sure?" He couldn't have looked more worried. As Brooke studied him quietly, she realized that dark circles had formed underneath his eyes, and he looked just - generally tired. She almost wanted to tell him to crawl into bed with her, but decided against it.

"Yes, Lucas. I'm sure." She spoke with attitude in her voice, her thoughts finally deciding they wanted him to leave her alone.

"Okay." He shrugged. This wasn't the first time he was worried about her; she could tell. He probably didn't even sleep at night anymore. Neither did she.

"I just thought maybe, maybe you'd want to talk." He ventured deeper into the room.

"No. No, I really just want to take a nap."

"Okay, maybe I'll-"

She cut him off. "Alone."

"Brooke, why are you acting like this?"

"Like what? Lucas, this is what I'm like now! This is what has happened to us. To me." She frowned, pulling back the covers, and climbing under them, blocking out the outside world in which he belonged to.

"Since when? Why aren't you happy? I just want you to be happy." His voice filled with tears, but she didn't seem to notice, as she stayed underneath the covers, ignoring him.

He stood there for minutes, waiting and hoping for a reply. When she did not give one, he shrugged, leaving the room.

She jumped, upon hearing the door slam, and quickly crawled out of bed, scurrying towards the window, and peaking outside. Her husband's hands rested on his head, in a confused matter. He growled, kicking at his car, until he finally climbed in, driving off.

She stared after it, and then sighed.

"I'm scared, Lucas."

-

Peyton applied blush to her already rose cheeks, smiling softly at her reflection the mirror. She tugged at her strands of curly hair, knowing there was nothing she could do to contain the mess.

There was a knock at the door, and she groaned, pulling herself off her bathroom counter, and quickly walking towards the front door.

She pulled it open, and looked at the person on the other end, suddenly happy she'd put on makeup.

"Hi." David smiled awkwardly, and she gave a slight wave.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I just - well, I ordered food, so I could watch the game in utter happiness. And I accidentally ordered too much. And since you're my only young neighbor, I was thinking maybe you'd want to come help me get it all eaten up."

She grinned. "Are you sure you didn't purposely order too much food?"

Sheepishly, he looked down. "Sorry, but I can't answer that question."

A chuckle escaped her lips, and she pushed him out the door. "Well, I guess you're lucky I'm hungry."

-

"Haley, come on. Don't start this." Nathan rolled his eyes, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table by the TV.

"Don't start what?" She demanded, hands on her tiny hips. Haley was small, but she could be a fierce woman when she wanted to be.

"Another fight. Like you always do."

"Nathan, the only reason I always start fights, is because you never want to talk! All you ever do is sit around and watch TV, and eat! You don't ever want to discuss or do anything with me!"

"That's because," He stood, "You're not entertaining. All you _ever _want to do is fight! Sorry I don't feel the same way!"

"Well, then what do you feel? Nathan, don't you realize that you never do anything? I mean, that could mean a series of things! One being depression. It's just - I mean, you don't even ever work! I thought you were working on your big break, or whatever! You've done nothing!" She shrieked, advancing towards him. All she wanted to do was open his eyes; allow him to see life through hers. It was hard having to support yourself _and_ your husband, who was willing to do absolutely nothing.

"God, Haley! Why does everything have to have a reason with you? Let me tell you something. Not everything happens for a reason. And everyone that thinks otherwise is completely fucked up."

"You know what? You are not the man I married at all. You're-"

"You're not the woman I married either, Hales! Haven't been for years! So maybe I'm a little more cynical then before. Honestly, have you ever given me reason not to be?"

She pulled her hand back, slapping him hard across the face. "Get out."

"What?" He laughed, although there was nothing funny happening.

"I said, get out! You smug son of a bitch. You've never let that go - throughout all these years! I've sat here, and listened to you hang that over my head for as long as I can remember! Well, guess what? I don't feel guilty anymore. You can't make me feel guilty about that anymore! And you know what? I hate you! I hate you, and the way you make me feel," She pounded her fists against his chest, "So, get out! Get out of my house!"

He was shocked. Completely, utterly shocked. "Hales, you can't do that."

"I just did. Come by between the hours of two and four tomorrow to get your stuff."

"Fine. Fine!" He laughed, bitterly, "And f-y-i, had it been me, I wouldn't have ever let myself_ not_ feel guilt about what happened."

-

Lucas pushed open the door, looking around at his surroundings. The bar was anything but classy. It was littered with drunks, and girls with their thongs hanging out of their pants and short skirts.

He frowned, taking a seat at the bar, running a hand through his short locks.

"What'll you have?" The bartender, an odd looking man, asked him.

"Uh, tequila. Straight."

"Okay. It's uh, on her." He gestured towards the girl sitting a few empty seats away from Lucas. She was pretty, he noticed. Her hair was a reddish, strawberry-blonde color. She wore a tank-top that left little to the imagination, and a short skirt, along with long, flat-heeled, suede boots.

He nodded thankfully towards her, before taking a sip, making a face at the strong, bitter taste. In seconds, he'd realized that the girl had slid over, and was now sitting beside him.

"Hi." She purred. He noticed her eyes were green. Not like Brooke's eyes, which were an olive green, mixed with gold. Hers were pure, deep green.

"Hi. Thanks for the drink."

She smiled. "I'm Hilary."

"Lucas." He bit his lip, hoping she wasn't looking to hook up with him. If that was the case, this would be an embarrassing evening for both of them.

"So, what are you-"

"I'm married." He stated quietly, lifting up his hand to show her the ring on his finger.

"Me too," She chuckled, showing him her own, "Of course, my husband and I don't really have a relationship, so even if I wanted to sleep with you, it wouldn't matter."

"Brooke and me, we aren't like that." He shook his head, almost sure of it.

"Brooke," She stated softly, "That's a nice name."

"Yeah. Brooke Scott." He almost smiled.

"So I take it you're Lucas Scott?"

"Guilty as charged."

"Well, well, Lucas. I'd say you were very broody. Don't you ever smile?" Hilary giggled.

He couldn't help it. The corners of his mouth lifted up, ever so slightly. "It's been a rough night."

"It's always a rough night." She spoke quietly, so that he almost could not hear her.

They were silent. Awkwardness had settled in, and both stared down at their drinks, having no idea what to say.

She looked up at him. "So, handsome, care to share what's going so wrong in your life?"

"Not really. But since you bought me a drink, I guess I owe it to you." He grinned.

"Well, my wife and I, we've been going through some problems lately. We never speak anymore, and she's always really - really sad. I think she might be depressed. Anyway, we went to see my parents tonight, and well, it didn't go to well. My brother was there, and he and my dad aren't too fond of each other, so all hell broke loose."

"Back up. Why's your wife always so sad? Like, do you have any idea?"

"Yeah." Lucas nodded, looking down, tearfully.

"Care to tell?"

"She was pregnant," He'd tried so hard to forget. To pretend it didn't happen. But it was too hard. Especially for Brooke, "Seven months. And we'd been trying for so long, too, so we were really happy. Things had really been going great for a while, you know? We'd hit a few rough patches, but we were - really, really happy. Nothing was supposed to ruin what we felt."

Hilary nodded. She had a feeling in her stomach she knew where this story was heading.

"Anyway, one day, she was at the house; I was at work. She was supposed to be in bed all day. I told her that she was too big to be walking around the house, but she was bored. So she didn't listen. She was walking out of the bedroom, and she saw a man. He was, he was a robber."

She bit her lip.

"And he's found this box of hers. This box that she'd kept with all this stuff. It had all the love letters I'd ever written her, and some jewelry, and some money, and stuff from high school - but mostly, I think she just cared about the stuff that was of me and her."

"Oh God," Hilary squeezed her eyes shut.

"So, not even thinking, she yells, 'Please don't take those!'. And he turns around, and looks at her with utter hatred in his eyes. And of course, she can't believe she's made herself known. He was leaving. He was going to leave, and then she spoke up." Tears now visibly threatened to spill from the handsome man's eyes.

"And he just - he just charged at her. You know, I don't know if she expected him to have compassion, because she was pregnant, or if she knew. But in seconds, he had her up against the wall. He raped her. Brutally raped her. And when he was finished, he threw her down the stairs, as if she were nothing. She lost the baby."

Hilary covered her mouth, a gasp escaping her lips. Tears filled her eyes at the heartbreaking story.

"And I know she thinks it's her fault. And she thinks everyone else does too. But it was an honest mistake; her calling after him. If he'd found her, it wouldn't have been any different."

"Did they catch the guy?"

Lucas laughed bitterly. "Yeah. But the son of a bitch had the nerve to say that she'd told him not to go, so that they could have sex. Of course, it wasn't true. But you should have seen this guy. Cruel as could be."

"I'm sorry." Hilary reached out, grabbing his hand.

"I haven't - I haven't actually ever told anyone that. I mean, that's the first time I've ever told someone what happened to her."

"It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. I mean, it has to be."

"No. It won't be. She's so unhappy. She acts like she's okay now, but I know it's an act. And I don't think she knows that I can see right through her."

"Then show her."

"What?"

"Look, you can't just expect her to go through this alone. Tell her that you're there. That no matter what, you're going to take care of her. Love her. Make sure she'll be okay. Make love to her, and show her how different you are from that asshole."

"I don't know if she wants me anymore."

"Well, it's time to find out. Go home to your wife, Lucas. Save your marriage while you still can." The tears never left her eyes. The sadness didn't either. It was apparent the woman had been through a lot herself. She obviously had expertise in the area.

"Thank you," He nodded, kissing her cheek softly, before walking away, "Oh, and Hilary?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sure whatever's happened to you, with your husband and everything, It'll work out. I can tell that you're a good person. You deserve to be happy."

She smiled, not so sure he was right. "Yeah. You too."


	7. Pick a Bigger Weapon

**Author's Note**: This chapter was actually challenging, which was weird since I had it all planned out. Speaking of having stuff planned out, I've got the rest of the storyline for this story planned out, and we're in for a long ride my friends. Hopefully, I update more frequently so you can actually stick around for the long ride. Hah.

-

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Seven:** _Pick A Bigger Weapon_

Lucas thanked God for his silver convertible as he sped down the highway, dodging any oversized cars that got in his way.

He was pushing eighty, and if he had to, he'd get to a hundred. He just needed Brooke to know that he loved her- that he would never hurt her. He had to get to her, before it was too late. Before he'd lose her completely.

Then again, he could have already lost her.

Shaking his head, he coiled his hands tightly around the wheel. No. No, he hadn't lost her. He couldn't have. He just needed to take drastic measures. And then everything would go back to normal.

Normal. Lucas almost laughed. And honestly, what was normal? They hadn't been normal since the accident. At this thought, Lucas actually laughed. What had happened was not an accident. Far from. That prick had hurt Brooke on purpose. He hoped the bastard was rotting way in prison.

As he pulled onto one of Tree Hill's main roads, he zoomed past shops and restaurants, keeping an eye out for cops. Suddenly, he spotted a flower shop.

"Flowers! Yes, flowers. Okay." Screeching to a halt, he quickly made a U-turn, pulling the car into the only free parking spot around, and grabbing his wallet.

He stepped outside, quickly locking the door.

"What the hell was that?"

He turned towards the source; a middle aged, balding man, who had a somewhat New York-en accent.

"Excuse me?"

"That's a nice car. Have fun totaling it on your way home. But I guess it don't matter, since Daddy will probably get you a new one afterwards anyway." The man laughed cynically as if he'd spoken some hilariously true joke.

"Whatever, man." Lucas rolled his eyes, pulling open the door of the flower shop.

It was cold.

Frankly, he was surprised. You would think that a store that sold flowers would maybe warm it up a little; make the shop a happier place to be. He understood that the flowers might need a little cool air so that they could stay fresh, but this place was a refrigerator.

As he stood there, mentally complaining because the place was too cold, he suddenly realized that he was afraid. He was afraid of Brooke; of losing her; of things never being the same. They had to return to normal, right?

Shaking his head, he looked around for a bouquet she might like. He'd never know if they could return to normal, unless he tried to make them return to normal. Finally settling on one containing a variety of flowers, he hastily paid for them.

Sprinting towards his car, he saw the same man that had pestered him before out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, getting some flowers for the next date? Be sure to remember her name. Wouldn't want an obvious womanizer like yourself goin' down so easy."

Lucas frowned, carefully placing the flowers onto the passenger seat. Standing straight, he looked straight at the man. "Okay, first, shut up. You know nothing about me or who I am. Second, I grew up with nothing. Probably like yourself. But_ I_ actually worked hard and made my own money, putting me where I am today. So, before you pass judgments - don't. Also, these flowers are for my wife, who's going through a really tough time right now since she lost our baby a little while ago. And you know, it was really nice talking to you, but I have to go."

The man looked completely taken aback. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, apologetically.

"That's right, asshole." Lucas mumbled to himself, as he climbed into his car.

He shifted the car into gear, remembering Hilary's words clearly.

_"Look, you can't just expect her to go through this alone. Tell her that you're there. That no matter what, you're going to take care of her. Love her. Make sure she'll be okay. Make love to her, and show her how different you are from that asshole."_

_"..Go home to your wife, Lucas. Save your marriage while you still can."_

"Alright baby," He sighed, "I love you. You'll see."

-

Brooke circled the rim of the wine glass with her finger, biting her lip as her eyes flickered once more towards the clock hanging above the microwave.

It was so late. God, what if he'd gotten into a car accident? Or he'd been murdered? Lucas was her world. He couldn't die. It would absolutely destroy her.

Breathing deeply, she managed to control herself.

A knock sounded loudly throughout the house. She jumped briefly, and all but ran to the door. Pulling it open, her eyes crinkled in surprise.

"Nathan?"

He smiled sheepishly, hands deep in his pockets. "Yeah. Uh, sorry. Is this a bad time"

She took in his appearance. The rain hadn't been very forgiving. He was soaked to the bone. His dark hair was dripping, and his blue eyes were hopeful.

"Of course not," She pulled the door open wider, "Come in. Let me get you some dry clothes."

In a flash, she was up the stairs, and then back down, holding out some of Lucas's clothes towards him. Ushering him into the bathroom, she then put his wet clothes into the drier, and returned to the entrance minutes later with a smile.

He stared. She stared. There was lots of staring.

"So, I guess I should probably be talking."

Brooke nodded.

He sighed, looking down, "Haley kicked me out."

"Oh my God. For- for good, or.."

"For good." He nodded surely.

She was stunned. They'd had their problems before, but it was so unlike Haley to just kick Nathan out. It was so irrational.

"What happened? Did you cheat on her?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"Brooke! No! But hey, thanks for all the credit."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I never thought Haley would ever kick you out unless she had a justified reason."

He shrugged. "We got into a fight and she just told me to leave, and pick my stuff up tomorrow."

"Nathan, I'm so sorry. What are you going to do?"

He looked down at her hopefully, "I was actually hoping I could stay here."

"Here? In this house?" Brooke looked around, as if gesturing.

"Well," He paused, "Yeah."

And right then, in that moment, she felt bad for her brother in law. The poor guy had only tried and tried again to save his marriage with Haley, and yet, despite all his efforts, he'd failed.

She smiled, "Of course you can stay, Nate."

He grinned, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are amazing."

"I know." She laughed, pulling away.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and Lucas popped in. Tousled hair, flowers in hand.

"Luke!" Brooke sprung back, surprised.

"Baby, we need to- Nathan, hi." He smiled falsely at his younger brother, hoping his visit would be short.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here?" He tried to sound nice. Really, he did. But all he wanted to do was talk to Brooke, and his brother being there did not make this easy.

"Actually, Luke, Nathan's going to stay with us for a while." It was then that she noticed the flowers. She blushed.

"Haley kicked me out." Nathan offered.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry if I'm-"

"No, it's fine. I mean, uh, Haley kicked you out?"

"Yeah. Told me to get my shit and go, and uh, I ended up here."

Lucas bit his lip. "Did you cheat on her?"

"Jesus."

Brooke jumped in. "No, he definitely did not. They just got into a fight, and she told him to leave."

"I'm sorry, man."

"It's cool. Do you mind if I just crash? I'm - really tired."

"Of course." Brooke nodded supportively.

The two watched as he walked upstairs, looking completely broken. Lucas felt bad for his brother. Selfishly, also a little disappointed that Haley had chosen tonight to kick him out. But mostly, he felt bad for Nathan. He knew how much his brother had loved Haley.

Brooke looked towards him, her eyes traveling towards the flowers once more.

"Are those for me?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I was such a dick earlier on."

"_Please_. You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not _your_ fault Dan Scott is your father."

He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Pulling her into a hug, he felt her tense the slightest bit. Sighing, he kissed the top of her head.

He hadn't accomplished his mission yet.

But he would.


	8. Middle of Nowhere

**Author's Note**: Hey, so I definitely updated sooner then last time, right? Hah. I'm not entirely thrilled with this chapter, but hopefully you'll think otherwise. Thank you so much for all your reviews, and please leave more! They're amazing. Anyway, uh, not much else to say, except enjoy. 

**PS**: This chapter is dedicated to Hilary, who helped me out with a little.. grammatical error. Love you, BOB.

-

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Eight:** _Middle of Nowhere_

Sunlight filtered through the room illicitly, weaving its way around the blinds. Funnily enough, it would be there for only the shortest period of time, before rain would take its place. It was as if the sun only came in the mornings to wake the people of Tree Hill up, before it would return to its place in the heavens until the next day.

Lucas attempted to shield his face with his hand, and when that did not work, he groaned loudly, turning away from the window sided-wall.

The second they had moved in together, Brooke had claimed the right side of the bed - the side that never seemed to face the windows. He cracked an eye open, looking over his wife as she slept.

The outline of her shape was perfect. Beautiful. He could just lay there, watching her breathe slowly, and be content. Her dark hair rested around her shoulders, and the covers were pulled up to just her under her breast.

Smiling faintly, he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her temple. Brooke awoke suddenly, her eyes wide. Realizing it was just him, she smiled softly, closing her eyes once more.

"I love you." Lucas spoke softly.

She opened her eyes. "You too."

Sighing, he shook his head. She'd been like this for a while. It was almost like Brooke got constant mood swings. She'd go to bed entirely happy with him, and wake up all tense and distant.

"Brooke.." He tugged at her shoulder. Reluctantly, she turned to face him. One eye open, one closed.

He wanted to ask her what was up; what was on her mind. Instead, he pulled her close to his chest, kissing the top of her head, and hugging her tightly. He was surprised when she did not tense her shoulders or pull away.

Brooke had seemed to have dissolved into him. She sighed contently into his chest, wrapping one arm tighter around him. Sighing heavily, she kissed his clothed chest. The faintest of grins crossed Lucas's face.

"I love you, Lucas." She spoke surely, placing another kiss on his collarbone.

"I love you too, Brooke. More then you'll ever know."

It was cheesy, but true. He'd never loved anyone as much as he loved Brooke. He'd never wanted to just lay in bed _all_ day and hold someone, cuddle with them, except for when that someone was Brooke.

A smile lighting up her face, she leaned up to kiss him.

Unfortunately, she didn't quite get the chance. Nathan opened the door to the room, and upon seeing the couple, bit his lip and slapped himself across the head. Lucas growled inwardly; he'd forgotten Nathan was there.

"God, I'm so sorry. I'm_ such_ an idiot. I should uh, really learn to knock." Nathan made a face, shrugging his shoulders heavily.

"It's okay, Nate. Do you need something?" Brooke had pulled away from Lucas. And that was that. The moment was over.

_Thanks, Nate._ Lucas spoke to himself, inwardly cursing his brother.

"No, I mean.. well, I was just having problems with the stove. I was going to make breakfast for all of us. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, etcetera. Except I couldn't figure out how to work the stove."

"You turn the knob." Lucas said, somewhat coolly.

Brooke shot her husband a death glare. "It's a complicated stove. I'll help you work it."

"No, it's okay. You stay, I'll figure it out.."

"Don't be silly, Nathan." She smiled.

Pulling herself completely away from Lucas, she stood. In just a wife beater and short black shorts, she followed Nathan towards the staircase that would lead them to the kitchen. Lucas could hear them conversing chirpily as they made their way down.

He groaned, leaning back in bed. Well, that Nathan sure had great timing. Frowning, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing.

Really, he wasn't mad at Nathan. Slightly annoyed, yes. But not mad.

It was just that it was such a rare occasion he and Brooke got to just - be. They rarely ever laid in bed and just enjoyed each other's company. And it wasn't really Nathan's fault that he'd walked in once they finally started doing so. But Lucas had to find _someone _to blame. And Nathan was the most obvious choice.

Stretching his arms, he sat up. Cocking his head to the side, he turned towards the window. Suddenly, as if on cue, rain suddenly began to pour, and the room darkened.

He nodded. "Of course."

-

Peyton's eyes opened slowly, and she took a deep breath, looking around at her surroundings.

Her eyes popped open and she quickly sat up. Where the hell was she? This didn't look at all like her house. The walls were blue, the furniture manly - Suddenly it hit her.

This was Dave's house.

Realizing she was on his couch, she ran a hand through her hair. She had to have fallen asleep the night before. Groaning, she laid back down.

"Morning."

She shrieked. "Oh my God. You totally scared me."

"Not exactly a morning person, huh?" Dave grinned.

"Who is?" Peyton rolled her eyes.

He smiled slightly, looking down, "Me."

"Oh," She giggled, blushing deeply, "Sorry."

"It's fine. You're cute when you blush, you know." He stated softly, only deepening her blush.

She stared at him, a smile tugging up at the corners of her lips. How could he possibly find her cute at this hour of the morning? How could anything about her be cute when her hair was a curly mess, and her eyes were probably underlined with bags?

Dave handed Peyton a cup of coffee, and she all but inhaled it in.

He watched her with wide eyes, "So, I take it you like coffee."

"I love coffee. I want to marry coffee. My life revolves around coffee." He laughed, but she didn't even crack a smile.

"So, in conclusion, you like coffee."

"Yeah. You know what I've noticed? You and I don't know all that much about each other."

"Well I like you."

She looked down at her hands, feeling her cheeks warm for the hundredth time that morning. "I like you too."

"Good to know."

"But I mean, I don't know about your family, or many of your past relationships. Last night, we managed to talk about everything but ourselves."

"Okay," He smiled, "So, tell me about yourself."

She bit her lip, "How much time do you have?"

"All morning."

"I was afraid you'd say that," She wrinkled her nose in a way he found entirely adorable, "How about you go first?"


	9. Crash Course in Polite Conversations

**Author's Note: **Believe it or not, I've had this written since Sunday. I was _going _to get it Beta'd, for once, since I never do that. I wanted to see, you know, how I'm doing as a writer. Sometimes I feel like I write unclearly and stuff, and I wanted to see someone else's opinion. Unfortunately, the computer I've been working on probably won't be working for very much longer, so I didn't have time to wait for the Beta's response. Hopefully though, it'll work out next time. Anyway, I'm not too happy about this chapter. It's not really well written in my opinion, but hopefully you'll feel otherwise. Please leave reviews, and thanks.

-

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Nine: Crash Course in Polite Conversations**

The weather had not changed in weeks. Months, perhaps. Brooke had taken a look outside the window that early December morning, and had begrudgingly decided to accept that there would be no snow that year. And most likely none for the year following, either.

Lucas had dressed quickly, stealing quick glances at his wife, who looked entirely dissatisfied and bored.

"So, I was thinking that if I got off work before dinner, we could go out." He'd said softly.

She hadn't even looked in his general direction. "Sure."

Sighing deeply, Lucas had left. Brooke had continued to stare out the window, before finally making her way downstairs. Sullenly, she'd taken a seat on one of her comfortable living room sofas, leading her to where she was now; the same exact spot.

She assumed it had probably been about an hour or so, but her boredom made her feel as if it had been days. Days, and she had not moved. Giggling softly at the thought, she rolled her eyes, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

Running her fingers slowly through her hair, she sighed. What was there that she could possibly do to entertain herself? Looking around at the living room, she reached blindly for a magazine.

Frowning at the _Vogue_ in her hands, she flipped through it quickly. She tossed it back onto the table, stealing a glance at the empty house once more, before throwing herself down on the couch dramatically.

She couldn't believe she'd become one of _those_ women. The ones that were only entertained when their husbands were around; The ones that felt lost when their lovers had gone off to live their own lives.

She was sitting here in this house - alone - wishing that Lucas would return so she could be at least mildly entertained.

"Maybe I'll just bake a cake for him for when he gets home," She grinned artificially before rolling her eyes.

She heard a shuffling noise. In fear, she looked up towards the sound, remembering the last time she'd heard such a thing.

She jumped in surprise at the sound of a voice, but relaxed when she remembered it's familiarity.

"Brooke?" Nathan appeared then.

She let her hand fall from her heart, and drop to her side carelessly. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here, until I could have sworn I heard you speak."

"Yeah. I was just, um, muttering to myself."

He chuckled. "Well, of course you were."

Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans, she couldn't help but allow the corners of her lips to turn up the slightest bit. "I thought I was alone, too."

They stood silently. Awkwardly, if anything. She almost wished that she were alone again.

"So," He bit his lip, "I was just about to go out for breakfast. Want to come?"

With a smile, she nodded her head. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Looks like it stopped raining."

With the slightest of frowns, Brooke turned towards the window.

"Huh. That's funny."

-

Brooke pulled her gray sweater tighter around her thin frame. "Do you think we should bring an umbrella, just in case?"

"Nah." He was hunched over, lacing up his shoes.

"I still can't believe you're forcing me to walk." She made a face.

Nathan grinned, standing up straight. "I love walking."

"Me too, actually. Only, not in heels." Brooke looked down at her feet.

"So, don't wear heels."

"That's _not_ an option." She winked.

Nathan pulled the front door open, allowing her to step ahead of him. She smiled; Sometimes it was hard for her to understand what had possibly possessed Haley. Nathan was a great guy. Much better then Chris, hands down.

"If it rains, I swear to God, you're giving me a piggy-back ride." Brooke warned him, grinning.

"_If_ it rains, I swear to God, I'll throw you over my shoulder and carry you home as if you weigh nothing." His grin matched her, minus the dimples.

"Are you an atheist?" Her eyes narrowed to slits.

He laughed. "What does that have to do with _anything_?"

"Well, if you're an atheist, you swearing to God means absolutely nothing to me." Brooke crossed her arms over her chest.

"Good point," He nodded, "Except that you already know I'm not an atheist. We used to go to church together when we were like six."

"People can lose faith." She rolled her eyes.

He nodded, not entirely sure of how to reply to her comment. He fought the urge to ask her if she'd lost faith, but decided against it.

"Bottom line, you're carrying me if it rains."

"Somehow, I have a feeling I'm going to be carrying you even if it _doesn't _rain."

She giggled. "Funny. So do I."

-

"We've been walking for two hours." Brooke complained, mentally apologizing to her feet.

"Brooke, we've been walking for ten minutes."

"Same thing." She scoffed.

"Actually, not even close."

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he shook his head, laughing.

"Real mature, Davis. You should be proud."

"It's Davis-Scott." She retaliated lamely.

He acted as if he'd been struck in the heart by some sort of painful object. A gun maybe. Or a knife. "Oh, good one!" He shouted sarcastically.

She grinned, her fist colliding with his shoulder playfully, "Shut up, Loser."

"And the hits just keep on coming!"

-

As they neared Karen's Café, it did not occur to either of them what lay before them. Somehow, it had slipped Brooke's mind. And even stranger, it had slipped Nathan's.

It was only once they were right outside did Nathan realize. Brooke, of course, still did not, and began to march right in. He hastily grabbed her arm, tugging her backwards.

"We can't go in there."

"Of course we can. It's easy, you just pull the door open-"

"No, Brooke. We really _can't_."

Still not comprehending, Brooke rolled her eyes, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside. It was at this point that it suddenly hit her as well.

However, it was now too late. They were already inside. She could only hope it was Haley's day off.

Nathan was already on it; his eyes frantically searching the room.

From behind them, they heard, "Hi, can I get you two a table?"

Slowly and awkwardly, Brooke and Nathan turned towards the familiar voice.

"Hi Haley." Brooke spoke with as much cheer as she could, but found her voice faltering.

"Brooke.. Nathan.." Haley's eyes were nervous and wide. She looked as if she would throw up at any moment.

"Sorry, I forgot you were working today." Nathan managed to stutter out.

"I work every day."

"Right. I knew that."

Haley looked over at Brooke, the slightest flicker of betrayal showing in her eyes.

"I can get you two a table." She offered, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Nathan opened his mouth, closed it, opened it once more, and then finally allowed it to shut completely.

Brooke saw this as a sign. "You know what? We were actually just going to order some donuts and coffee to go."

Haley nodded. "I'll go get that for you."

Brooke and Nathan waited awkwardly. And when she returned, Nathan paid her quickly, and the two made a rapid getaway. Once outside, they walked towards the local park.

"I'm _so_ sorry." Brooke spoke softly and guiltily.

"Don't be. I forgot too."

"But you tried to warn me-"

He held a hand up. "_Brooke_, it's fine."

"Okay."

They sat on a park bench, and Nathan took a bite of his donut, looking over at Brooke.

She was biting her lip, eyeing her coffee suspiciously.

"What are you _doing_?" He chuckled.

Brooke looked over at him.

"What do you think the chances are Haley spit in this?"


	10. Seventy Two Hours

**Author's Note: **I don't like this chapter. It seemed promising at first, but uh, didn't turn out the way I'd wanted it to. Thanks for last chapter's reviews. I realized it got a lot less then usual, but I don't really mind. Hopefully, that'll change this chapter. I know a lot of you are worried about something happening, but don't worry. I mean, look, here's all I'm going to say about this story: Anything can change at any point. Nothing is set in stone. So don't be _too_ afraid. Hehe. Um, please leave reviews, and uh, enjoy.

-

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Ten: Seventy-Two Hours**

"_Three days?" Brooke made a face, adjusting herself so that she was sitting up on their bed, legs crossed Indian style. _

_Lucas smiled softly, pulling two ties out of his drawer. She gestured towards the lighter of the ties, and he tossed it into his bag. "Three days isn't **that** long, Brooke. I'll be back before you know it."_

"_It's like eighty hours." Brooke objected, tucking some stray pieces of hair behind her ear. _

"_It's seventy-two, Baby." He corrected, the smallest of grins forming on his handsome face. _

"_It's **too long**." She sighed. _

"_I'll be back soon. With gifts." He zipped up his bag, placing his hands on either side of her face, warmly._

"_Gifts? Well, that makes it a **little** better." She rested her hands on top of his, and he pulled her in for a brief kiss._

_Picking up his bag, he stood straight. Brooke stood as well. _

"_It's nice to know I'll be missed." _

_She smiled sadly. Of course he'd be missed. She knew that she didn't often run around publicly telling him how much he meant to her, but he did. Brooke Davis-Scott loved Lucas Scott more then anything in the world. And although sometimes she felt that their relationship faltered - she knew that no matter what happened, her love for him would not._

_She stood on the tips of her toes, placing a quick, soft kiss on his lips. Turning away from him, so that he would not see the tears shining in her eyes, she began to walk away from him. _

_Lucas grabbed Brooke's arm, spinning her back towards him. She was seconds away from questioning him - but she didn't have the chance. He leaned down, kissing her passionately. He tightened his grip around her, and she melted into the kiss. _

_Eventually, he pulled away._

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too." She kissed him softly one more time, before dropping his hand._

"_I'll call you as soon as I land in Chicago." _

"_Call me as soon as you get to the airport." She corrected. _

_He nodded, a smile permanently embedding his features. _

_Things were going back to normal._

-

Brooke's eyes ran over the calendar. Wednesday. Lucas would be coming home tonight. She smiled happily, resting her hands in front of her mouth. She eyed the calendar a while longer; it felt as if Lucas was returning from war, it having lasted three years, instead of a business trip that had lasted three days.

A jiggling sound could be heard even from her spot in the kitchen, and then the opening and closing of the front door. She took a sip of her coffee, tearing her eyes away from the calendar.

"Hey Nate," She called out, looking through the mail on the counter.

She heard his footsteps as they neared the kitchen. "Hey."

"So," Brooke grinned, "How's the key working out for you?"

Nathan laughed. "Pretty good. I like the fact that when it's pouring outside, I don't have to stand out there, waiting forever for you to open the door."

"I don't take forever to open the door." She argued.

"Okay. And I'm a three hundred pound kid with a five minute mile time." He grinned, using his hand to mess up her hair.

"Nathan!" She groaned, fixing it the best she could with no mirror.

He chuckled. "It looks good that way!"

"You're impossible." She picked up a gossip magazine, flipping over to a new Jessica Simpson article that caught her attention immediately.

Nathan laughed. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he looked up at the calendar on the wall. "Hey. Luke gets back today, huh?"

"Yep." She couldn't hide the grin that formed on her face.

"We should do something for him."

"Like what?"

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know. Cook him dinner or something."

Brooke looked up in surprise. "Well, this is a surprise. Are you growing softer in your old age, Natey? Aw, you just love your big brother so much, huh?" She teased.

He frowned. "Forget it."

"No, come on! I think it's a good idea, Nathan."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. No more jokes about me, though. Alright?"

She grinned. "Okay, Betty Crocker."

-

"Nathan!"

"_What?_"

"What did I _just_ say?" Brooke placed her hands on either side of her own face, feeling as if her head would explode if she didn't.

Nathan made a face. "Uh, _I like your shirt_?"

"No, before that." She seethed.

"I don't really remember." He shrugged.

"Oh _my_ God. I'm going to kill you."

"Oh! Now, I remember. You told me not to stir or touch anything if you were already doing it."

She dropped her hands, nodding. "And what did you do?"

Nathan looked down. "I stirred the vegetables at the same time as you."

"Exactly. So, Nathan, what are we definitely _not_ going to do again?"

"Stir or touch anything if you're already doing it?"

"Good boy." She grinned.

Nathan made a face, pulling himself up on top of the counter. "This is degrading."

Brooke laughed. "How so?"

"Well, I'm sitting here being told what _not_ to do, and being scolded by someone that knows absolutely nothing about cooking." He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

She placed her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Nathan Scott! Given my history with cooking, I would be pretty surprised and proud of myself if I were you! Have I made _one_ mistake tonight? _One_?"

"Well, no, but-"

"No buts!" She turned away from him, stirring at the sauce she'd been preparing for the pasta.

With a sigh, he advanced towards her slowly. "I'm sorry, Brooke. I wasn't really being serious. You're a damn good cook, if I do say so myself."

Brooke looked up at him for a moment, before launching herself into his arms. "Aw! Natey! You're so sweet! Thanks!"

He sighed. "Yeah, whatever."

"So, let's get cooking!" She pulled away.

Nathan smirked. "If that's what you'd call it."

Brooke shot him a warning look.

"Hey, lower the weapons. It was a joke."

"A joke?"

"Yes. Humor. You should try it sometime."

"Ha-ha." She deadpanned.

Nathan smirked at her. With a brief shake of her head, she found herself smiling back.

"You're a _little_ funny."

"A little?"

Brooke shrugged. "Maybe."

He grinned at her, and then looked past her, outside.

His jaw dropped.

"Holy shit!"

"What?"

"It's snowing!"

Brooke didn't even look up from whatever she was stirring. "Okay, Nathan."

"I'm serious!"

Rolling her eyes, she slowly turned towards the window. "Come on. I'm not going to fall for your bullsh- Holy shit! It's snowing!"

"I told you!"

She squealed, taking off. Nathan called after her, but she ignored him, pulling open the large front door. With a grin, she took in the site before her; a slow steady stream of snowflakes fell from the dark sky, on to her once grassy front lawn. Some people peered outside their windows curiously, while others frowned and made faces.

"Nathan, come here!" She ran outside, completely oblivious to the cold, even in her thin, off-white long sleeved shirt, and tight, skinny jeans. She wore no shoes, and yet her feet felt warm, as if she were standing on a warm patio.

Laughter floated through the air, and she caught snowflakes in her mouth, and jumped around, dancing to imaginary music.

Nathan watched from the doorway, his hands buried deep into his pockets.

"Nathan, come on!"

He made a face. "Fuck no. That shit looks cold."

"It's not, I promise!"

"I'll just take your word for it. You're looking a _little_ bit high right now."

She chuckled, running towards him. The athlete's reflexes had not been quick enough, and the brunette girl had easily pounced on top of him, pulling him towards the lawn.

"Brooke, no! No, no, no." It was too late. His shoes were already soaking through.

"Okay, that's it." He tackled her, and they both fell kicking and screaming into the snow.

She screamed loudly as the cold snow soaked through her shirt. Grabbing a chunk of snow from beside her, Brooke pushed it into Nathan's mouth. He rolled away from her, and she giggled, climbing on top, and tickling at his sides.

He laughed hysterically, pushing her off and once again and taking control. Tickling at her thin body, he couldn't help but laugh at her expression.

"Stop!"

"You stop!"

Both fell into hysterics beside each other.

-

Brooke was the first to enter the house, hair dripping wet, makeup running, and clothes completely soaked through. Nathan followed, looking similar - minus the makeup.

"We're so going to get pneumonia." He shivered.

Brooke laughed. "But wouldn't it all be worth it?"

He couldn't help but smile. "Depends on how bad the pneumonia is."

Both went their separate ways in order to change, and returned to the kitchen, minutes later. The food was almost completely done. Voices hoarse, and bodies aching, they made coffee and took a seat at the island.

Nathan sighed, biting his lip. "It wasn't supposed to be this way."

"What do you mean?"

"This. I wasn't supposed to be helping you make dinner for my brother. Right now, I should be making Haley some romantic dinner, telling her how much I love her."

Brooke took a sip of her coffee. "I'm sorry that things didn't work out."

He shrugged. "It's not that. I just think I could have made it work if I tried harder. I could have tried harder."

"Nathan, don't beat yourself up about it. It's _not_ your fault."

"I'm just disappointed in myself. I should have tried to make it work. I _could_ have."

"But you would have been unhappy with each other," Brooke shook her head, "You and Haley spent years trying to make it work. Fighting and making up, and disagreeing on everything. Maybe this was just how it was supposed to end up."

He nodded. "I guess. Look, tonight was really fun and everything, but I think I'm going to get to bed."

"But what about dinner?"

Nathan smiled. "It's really for you and Lucas. Have a romantic night. Seduce him or something."

She smiled, watching as he stood. "Goodnight."

"Night." He waved.

Biting her lip, Brooke sighed. "Nathan, wait."

Nathan turned. "Yeah?"

"Stay. Come on. Have dinner with us, forget about your problems with Haley. At least for tonight. You deserve to have a good time, Nathan. And you shouldn't feel guilty whenever you do."

"I guess.. I could stay for a little while." He shrugged, taking a seat.

"I'm glad."

He nodded. "Me too.. Thanks, Brooke."

"Anytime."

He opened his mouth to say something, just as the phone sounded loudly through the house. Their eyes instantly shot towards the white, ringing object, and Brooke stood to answer it.

"Hello?"

The other end was loud. She could hear various voices and sounds that seemed to be coming from a large intercom system. "Brooke?"

"Luke!"

"Hey." She could hear his voice relax. She could feel his smile form.

"Hey! Where are you?"

"My flight's about to take off, and I just wanted to call to tell you I'll probably be home in about three or four hours."

She checked her watch. "Damn, that's later then I expected you."

"I'm sorry. I thought my flight was earlier, but when I called to check, they gave me the right times."

"Oh," She looked disappointedly over at the dinner she and Nathan had made, "That's okay. As long as you'll be home soon."

"I'll be there soon, Sweetheart. I promise."

"Guess what?"

"I hate this game."

She grinned, ignoring him. "It's snowing!"

"Yeah, okay."

"I'm serious! Check your weather report on your cell phone! It's been snowing for hours! It's like a winter wonderland, here."

"My God. I can't believe I missed it."

"I know. Me and Nathan were dancing around." She winked at Nathan, and he rolled his eyes.

"Not like I had a choice.." He muttered.

"_Nathan_? Dancing?" She smiled as she heard Lucas's warm laugh. God, she couldn't wait until he was home.

"You should have seen it."

"I'm sorry I missed it. If it's still snowing tomorrow, I promise I'll do something overly romantic and completely ridiculous for you."

She grinned. "I think that's a very good idea, Mr. Scott."

"Baby, I have to go. If it's not too late, I'll call you when I've landed, okay?"

"Call anyway, Luke."

He bit his lip, grinning. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Lucas hung up his phone, staring at it for a few moments. She'd seemed so happy. Like she had before. Maybe things were going back to normal.

With a smile, he boarded his flight.

Maybe he'd won Brooke back, after all.


	11. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

**Author's Note: **Okay, so the past two chapters haven't been all that bad. Especially compared to this one. This is sort of one of those in-between, short, necessary chapters. I don't really like it - at all, but it sort of has to be there. Anyway, the next chapter should be much better and more interesting.

Also, wow! I really want to say thanks for all the reviews last chapter. It was the most I've ever gotten for this story, and I was _really_ happy. I hope you guys keep reviewing like that (if you want, of course. Haha). And uh, yeah. Thanks.

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Eleven: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning**

Lucas awoke to a bright room and an empty bed. Squinting, he turned to look at the alarm clock, frowning at it's numbers. Was it really only eight? And if it indeed was, where was Brooke?

He sighed, pulling himself up into a sitting position. Apparently, he'd done so too fast, because he soon felt a head rush coming on, and found himself falling back to his previous position.

"Alright, Luke. Be a big boy and try again." He scolded himself.

Lucas stood up, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. Slowly, he walked downstairs - waking up completely along the way.

He was surprised to find Brooke up and functioning properly, pouring herself a cup of coffee, and looking out the window.

"Hey Pretty Girl," He smiled, "Dare I ask why you are awake at eight in the morning?"

She turned towards him, pouting. "I wanted to see if it was still snowing."

"And?"

"Not at all," She rolled her eyes, "There's not even any traces that there _was_ snow. It's just foggy and wet."

Lucas walked to the window, looking outside. She was right. There was no traces of snow, whatsoever. "Look at the bright side. At least you weren't sleeping when it started to snow. At least you were lucky enough to experience it. Think of all the newspaper-less people that probably don't even know it snowed last night."

She bit her lip, taking a sip of her coffee. "I hate how you're always right."

He grinned, leaning down to kiss her. "Good morning, Beautiful."

Brooke wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. "Morning, Husband."

Sighing, he ran a hand through his frazzled, short locks. "So, I think last night was pretty fun. It was nice of you guys to stay up and wait for me."

Her shoulders seemed to sag the slightest bit. "It didn't really go as we planned."

"How so?" Lucas opened the fridge, pulling out a couple eggs.

"Well," She hesitated, "Nathan and I made dinner for you last night. And we were really excited about you eating it and stuff, but you got home so late that our plan was sort of ruined."

"What? You guys did that for me?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me last night when I got home?"

"Well, it was so late, and we didn't want to upset you, so we thought we'd just let it go, and just enjoy the rest of the night with you."

"I'm so sorry, Brooke. I had no idea-"

She shook her head. "Luke, no. It's totally fine. Our times just got messed up. It's okay."

Lucas nodded. "I'm still sorry, though. That you went through all the trouble.."

"Oh, it was no big deal. Let's just say Nathan and I _both_ went to bed _extremely_ full."

"I can't believe you actually got Nathan to help you make dinner." Lucas chuckled.

Brooke grinned. "Are you kidding? It was his idea."

"Get out."

"I'm serious!"

"_Nathan's _idea?" Lucas shook his head in disbelief. There was no way.

"Yeah, but don't tell him I told you. It might hurt his ego."

"Oh, okay." He couldn't contain his grin.

Brooke's eyes narrowed to slits. "You're never going to let him live this down, are you?"

"Never ever."

"You're so _evil_."

"Oh, I know."

Brooke chuckled. Then, after a moment or two, she sighed. "I can't believe it stopped snowing."

"Yeah, me either. I really love seeing it snow here. I don't know why, but the town always seem magical whenever it does. So much happier than it actually is, you know?"

Brooke wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly.

"Yeah," she said, "I do."

Lucas shrugged. "Maybe it'll snow later this month. Or next year."

"Hopefully." Brooke added.

"I'm sorry, Brooke. That I missed it."

She smiled. "It's okay. Nate and I had a really fun time."

Lucas couldn't help it; this disheartened him slightly. His wife was finally acting the closest to normal she'd ever been, and Nathan seemed to be constantly around to experience or interrupt it. Mentally shrugging it off, he pulled Brooke close to him, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"It feels so good to see you smile again."

She kissed his chest. "Yeah… It does."


	12. We Might As Well Be Strangers

**Author's Note: **It's been forever since I've updated, but it's really not my fault. This computer is like, seconds away from completely shutting down and being eaten up by a giant virus, so uh, yeah. I'm getting my new computer soon. It's beautiful, and I can't wait to start using it. Hehe. Anyway, enough about my computer. Thanks so much for all the reviews, and uh, everyone enjoy the chapter.

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Twelve: We Might As Well Be Strangers**

As Brooke opened the door to Karen's Café, she felt a strong sensation telling her to walk away. One foot outside, and one foot in, she bit her lip. Throwing her head back in frustration, she nearly groaned aloud. Why the hell did she have to be such a good person? With a sigh, Brooke closed the door, walking deeper into what seemed like the devil's lair.

Almost instantly, she heard her voice. "Caesar, I told you she wanted ham. She's allergic to roast beef!"

The chubby, Latin man placed his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry, Haley! But your voice is so damn quiet, it's hard to understand what you're saying sometimes."

The light haired brunette sighed, rolling her eyes with a smile. And like a magnet, her eyes somehow managed to find themselves upon Brooke, and her smile dropped. Hesitantly, Brooke waved. Haley simply bit her lip, nodding.

Taking the nod as her opportunity to take control, Brooke slowly took a seat at the counter. "Hey Haley."

Haley kept her eyes down. "Hi Brooke."

"Look, um, I came here to apologize."

"For what?"

"For the other day. Nathan and I both _totally_ spaced, and neither of us had any idea that you were going to be here. I really don't want you to think it was an ambush or anything." She offered, smiling softly.

"It doesn't matter," Haley shrugged, "You didn't have to come here today."

Brooke looked down. "Haley, I know that you don't think that you are, but really, you're one of my closest-"

"Look," Haley frowned, "You and I haven't been friends for a long time, Brooke. You and I both know that."

A hurt expression formed on the darker haired girl's face. "That's not true, Haley."

"You know it is. The only reason you and I really ever talk is because Nathan is Lucas's brother, and because you're married to Lucas. And even then, we don't even talk. I know the details of your public life, not your private."

"I can't believe you. I was under the impression that I was something more to you then just your husband's brother's wife."

"You know, you didn't even tell me what happened," tears threatened to spill from Haley's eyes, leaking sincerity, "I had to hear it from Nathan. And when I tried to talk to you about it, you wouldn't. You talked to Peyton. You _called_ Peyton when it happened, but not me. That was the day I figured out that you and I weren't friends."

"Peyton was there for me. She was there in my room, at the hospital every day. _You_ weren't."

"Yeah. And the sad part is, had you and I actually been friends, you would have known why."

Quietly, Brooke sat before her. More then anything, she wanted to ask why, but she couldn't. Her mouth couldn't form the words. She'd opened her mouth several times, she was sure, but had awkwardly closed it almost immediately.

"I never for one second didn't think you were my friend."

"That doesn't really matter anymore, because now, with everything that's happened, you're obviously on Nathan's side."

"That's not true! I'm not on anyone's side. I mean, yeah, Nathan's staying with us, but he's Lucas's brother! We couldn't just say that he couldn't stay with us!"

Haley nodded. The two were silent for what seemed like forever. Brooke had never found herself stuck in such an awkward silence.

"Well," Haley said suddenly, "I better get back to work."

Brooke found her head bobbing up and down. "Okay. So, I'll see you around.."

A flicker of doubt passed before Haley's eyes. "Yeah. Around."

-

Lucas entered the kitchen, stretching an arm over his head slowly. He looked out the window, smiling at the fact that it had not yet started to rain.

Nathan seemed to be doing the same thing from his spot at the counter, coffee in hands.

The brothers met eyes.

"Jog?"

"You read my mind."

-

The sky was just beginning to get cloudy as Nathan and Lucas had completed two miles. Many words hadn't been exchanged, but they'd always liked it that way. It was a way for them to bond as brothers, oddly enough.

Lucas was first to break the silence. "So, how's the Haley situation going?"

They'd stopped running, and were now sitting atop the sand on Whrysfield beach, panting heavily.

"There's no Haley situation anymore, Luke."

Lucas looked at his brother sympathetically. "I know. I meant like, how's the separation going?"

"It's going." Nathan shrugged.

"Nate, I wish you weren't going through this." He stared at his brother. More than anything, Lucas had hoped for happiness for both his sister-in-law and brother. He hadn't wanted this to happen.

"Me too. I wish things were different."

"Well, maybe they can be," Lucas offered, "I mean, what if you went to the apartment and told her that you wanted to make it work? I mean, Haley's a sucker for romantic gestures."

"That's the thing, Lucas. I _don't_ want to make things work. When I said I wished things were different, I mean like - I wish that she hadn't left to go on tour, or that I hadn't asked her to fucking _marry_ me when we were sixteen. I mean, _different_." Nathan shook his head sadly, eyeing the fading sun as the clouds began to come in.

"Oh."

Nathan bit his lip. "I hate that I'm not even twenty-five yet, and I'm getting a divorce."

"Nate, you did the best you could. It just wasn't meant to be."

"Yeah, I guess," He paused, grabbing a handful of sand, "So, how's Brooke?"

Lucas's jaw tightened the slightest bit. "I don't know. You've been spending more time with her lately then me."

"I know," Nathan made a face, "Lots of business trips, huh?"

"Things get busy at the end of the year." Lucas shrugged.

"Okay, I know this is kind of a weird question, but uh, what exactly do you do?" He laughed.

Lucas shoved his brother. "I'm a financial planning analysis. Basically I-"

"You know what? Just - forget I asked. It's better this way."

Both grinned. Lucas grabbed a handful of sand, tossing it at his brother's face. Gasping, Nathan did the same, and the two were soon in a playful tussle.

It was a beautiful sight. Watching two brothers with absolutely no hate for each other. It was almost refreshing.

-

Brooke frowned as she poured herself a cup of tea. God, would the rain _ever_ stop? All she wanted was for it to be sunny again. Or even better, snowy.

She sighed, still upset from her meeting with Haley. How could _Haley_ call _her_ a bad friend? Brooke had never once left her friends to go sing-a-long with Chris Keller. Brooke had never_ left_. Period.

Rolling her eyes, Brooke rested her hands on the counter. After a couple moments of contemplation, she lifted the phone from its spot on the receiver. Dialing a familiar number, she breathed a sigh of relief as the person on the other end picked up.

"P. Sawyer."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Brooke Davis-Scott."

She looked down guiltily, although Peyton could not see her. "Hi."

"I believe it's been, what? _Forever_ since I've last spoken to you, is it?"

"Hardy har-har, okay? I'm sorry."

"Eh, it's a two way street. So, hoe, how've you been?"

Brooke couldn't help but smile. Even through her toughest times, Peyton had always managed to be her ray of light, never faltering. "Peyton, it's only been like, a week since we've last spoken."

"Okay, well, in Brooke-Peyton land, that's like a million years."

"Oh, I've missed you." She giggled.

"Of course you have. What's not to miss? Anyway, how've you been in the past week?" Her last sentence was filled with mock, and Brooke quite enjoyed it.

"Well, I went over to see Haley, and she basically called me a bad friend, and said I was entirely on Nathan's side."

"God, I haven't spoken to Haley in like a month." Peyton said wistfully.

Brooke sighed. "I haven't seen her as much lately, either. But it's not because I'm on Nathan's side, I just.. I-"

"Haven't been yourself? Yeah, trust me, I know."

"I'm sorry, Peyt. If I've been like, a bad friend."

"Don't be. Brooke, you're my best friend, and I love you, and you have been through the toughest time. I know you, and I know when you need your space. Don't be sorry because of that."

Brooke found herself grinning. "God, you are so my P. Sawyer. How've you been?"

"Well, remember that guy I told you about? Adam?"

"Hot Neighbor Guy? Of course."

"I think I like him."

"Well, duh."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Brooke smiled, pulling open the fridge. "Just that I could tell you liked him since you first starting talking about him."

"How could you _possibly _know? I didn't even know."

"Have you forgotten who I am?"

Peyton shook her head, throwing an arm up. "Of course not. You're Brooke. How silly of me."

"So, what happened between you to make you realize your feelings?"

"Oh, the feelings that I apparently already had? Right. Well, uh, I don't know. I sort of spent the night at his house, and-"

"What?" Brooke shrieked, jumping up, "Tell me everything. Now. From the beginning."

"It's kind of a long story." Peyton whined.

"Oh, wow. Uh, do I care? No. Start."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "There's the Brooke Davis I both know, fear, and love."


	13. Vicious Traditions

**Author's Note: **Wow, so uh, this chapter is a little longer then expected. I realize a lot of frequent reviews didn't really review the last chapter, but I hope that changes for this one. To be completely honest, I _did_ struggle through this one. I don't know why. It just - it was tough. So, I hope you like it anyway, and that it's obvious toughness does not shine through. Uh, so guess what? It's my fourteenth birthday in two days! So, anyone that wants to wish me a good birthday? Just review instead, hehe. Don't worry, I'm semi-joking. Thanks so much, and enjoy.

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Thirteen: Vicious Traditions**

A sigh escaped Brooke's lips as she eyed the calendar. Only a few weeks left in the year 2012, she mused. God. All in all, it had been a horrible year. Everything that had happened had been truly devastating for everyone. She hoped that 2013 would be a better year. She _needed _2013 to be a better year.

She walked towards the refrigerator, pulling it open. Almost instantly, she grimaced. They _definitely_ needed to go grocery shopping. There were a couple take-out boxes, beer, soda, and many different types of dressings and sauces in the fridge. Not much else.

She stood straight, grabbing her keys off the counter. Pulling her hair into a loose ponytail, Brooke's eyes fell to the ground as she walked. Of course, this wasn't a very smart move, as it caused her to walk straight into Nathan.

"Oh!" She exclaimed in shock, as she stumbled backwards. "My God. Sorry, Nate."

Nathan shrugged, steadying her. "It's okay. Where are you going?"

Brooke looked down at the keys in her hand. "Um, I'm going to the supermarket. We have like, nothing in the fridge."

"Oh. Can I come with? I'm kind of bored, and since I don't have anything else to do, this seems like it'd be fun."

She made a face. "Nathan, have you ever _been_ grocery shopping?"

"No," He smiled sheepishly. "But uh, I saw it once. In a movie."

Brooke couldn't help but laugh. "Fine. But you should realize that this means you'll have to do _all_ the heavy lifting."

"Anything to get out of the house. I mean, not that I don't like this house. It's just that - and - I mean, sometimes you get bored, and then, well.." He trailed off unsurely.

"It's okay, Nate," Brooke giggled, "God, don't give yourself a heart attack."

"I just don't want you and Luke to think that I don't appreciate you letting me crash here for a while, because I really do. You guys have been awesome."

Brooke pulled her brother-in-law in for a hug. "We know, Nathan. Don't worry. See, if you were like, an asshole or something, then we'd have to throw you out on your ass. But you're actually pretty loveable."

He grinned, kissing the top of her head. "Thanks, Brooke."

"Now, let's go grocery shopping." She said with fake enthusiasm.

They began to walk towards the door.

"I don't understand why you're not more excited about this."

"Trust me, Honey. In a couple hours, you will."

-

Nathan pulled the car into the local Vons parking lot, smiling faintly as he saw a family exiting a mini-van. The mother and father grinned at each other as they watched their young kids jump out excitedly. Sometimes, he wished he and Haley could have been that way. He figured that maybe they could have lasted longer if they'd had children. But even then, had things still ended up the way they had, it would have just made things more complicated.

"Nathan!" He snapped his head quickly to his right, where Brooke sat.

"Uh-huh?"

"Um, you just missed that spot right over there. I've been pointing to it for like, the last five minutes, but you seem to be in la-la land over there."

"What spot?"

Brooke made a face. "Well, you missed it, so it isn't there anymore. Nathan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," He shrugged. "Just spaced out. My bad."

He found another space, and carefully parked the car. He'd had his fair share of car accidents over the years, and didn't need to add another to the list; especially when he wasn't driving his own car.

Brooke frowned as she surveyed their space. Nathan nudged her playfully. "What?"

"The other spot was better." She said simply, unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car.

"Don't be a baby," He grinned. "This spot's fine and you know it."

She found herself chuckling. "So, are you ready for our big shopping adventure?"

"Yeah, actually. And I still happen to believe that this will be fun."

"Right."

"C'mon, Brooke!" He draped an arm loosely around her. "The fact that you're shopping with me should automatically make this trip fun."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. You're so in to yourself."

"Shut up." Nathan frowned.

"You know it's true." She found herself grinning.

He pondered for a moment, until the corners of his mouth finally lifted up into a smirk. "Yeah, you're right."

-

"Mm, this looks good!" Brooke yanked a zone meal off of one of the frozen meal racks, dropping it into the cart.

Nathan stared in disgust, and then looked down at the ten large frozen pizzas he held in his arms. "That's," He paused. "Disgusting."

She made a face at him as he dropped the contents of his arm into their cart. "Nathan, do you seriously _need_ ten pizzas?"

"They're for Luke, too!"

"Fine, but when you gain sixty pounds, and I'm still in perfect shape-"

"Who's full of themselves now?" He challenged, slapping her shoulder playfully.

"Okay, that doesn't make me full of myself. I work hard to maintain my figure. I'm not Peyton."

Nathan stared at her, confused. "Peyton eats like a bird."

"Whatever! She's still thin.."

His look didn't budge. "Because she eats like a bird."

"You'll never understand me." Brooke threw her arms up in the air, walking away.

"And thank God for that."

-

As they walked through the 'health products' aisle, Brooke stopped the cart abruptly, causing Nathan to walk into her.

"Second time today, Davis. What's wrong with you?"

She gestured towards what she was looking at, and Nathan's jaw dropped.

"No," He shook his head violently. "Not here! Not when I'm here!"

"Nathan, I ran out, okay? I need them now."

He gagged as he looked over at the endless racks of tampons. "Fine! Then just pick one!"

Brooke scowled. "I like a certain brand. Also, the scented once are nice, because-"

"Ew! Ew, ew, ew! Stop talking. Now."

"Nathan," Brooke snapped, her eyes narrowing to slits, "It's a natural part of life!"

"I don't care! It's a natural part of _women's_ lives, which means you don't tell me about it! I'm not a woman!"

He'd said the last part a little too loud, and both realized it instantly, looking around to see if they had an audience. Of course, the one guy standing by the condom section had to be looking towards them, eyes wide and jaw hanging to the ground. He stared as if they were insane for a few moments, before walking away sans his supplies.

He sighed. "Sorry. I know you can't control your.. dot dot."

"I'm sorry," She giggled, "My dot dot?"

"You know.. your end of the sentence?"

"My period."

"That's it."

"Did you forget the word or something?"

"No, I just hate it."

She raised her eyebrows, thoroughly amused. "You hate the word period?"

"Pretty much, yeah." He shrugged.

"In all situations?"

"I don't know. It just makes me uncomfortable."

She mocked pity. "Aw, Natey! I'm sowwy. Does the word period make you uncomfortable?"

"Shut up." He crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

Brooke giggled, slapping her brother-in-law in the arm as she grabbed her boxes off the shelf, tossing them easily into the cart.

-

"Oh my God. Food samples!" Brooke exclaimed, grabbing Nathan's hand, and dragging him towards the table filled with various cheese and deserts.

He grinned, grabbing a toothpick that stuck to a ball of some unfamiliar cheese with an odd French name that would be impossible to pronounce. Brooke did the same. Both made faces of disgust.

"Gross!" Nathan gagged.

"Cross _that_ off our list." Brooke shuddered.

They reached for a different kind, and this time, both smiled in delight.

"Mm, yummy." She spoke through a mouthful of cheese.

"Grab like, six packages of those!" He gestured towards the wrapped pieces of cheese beside her.

She giggled as they both grabbed for different cheeses this time. Nathan's face went sour, and Brooke's face lit up. They exchanged cheeses, and both marveled at how both of them had enjoyed the one the other hadn't.

They continued to eat what they could find on the table, and after a few minutes, they realized that all that was left on the table were a few crumbs. The salesperson stared at them in utter shock, rolling her eyes and heading to the back for more food.

Brooke and Nathan exploded in laughter.

-

"Let's get US weekly, Vogue, and definitely In Touch."

"Okay. I think we should also get this one with Rachel McAdams on the cover, though." Nathan grabbed it off the shelf, cradling it in his arms.

They stood at the check-out line, after having concluded their shopping adventure, and were now contemplating which magazines they should get.

"Cosmopolitan is good too, so okay. They have really interesting sex tips in there." Brooke winked at Nathan, and his eyes widened as he looked down at the magazine in his hands.

The check-out woman ran everything through, and with a smile, pointed towards the little screen beside her. "There's your total."

Brooke returned her smile, digging through her purse for a credit card. Nathan stopped her. "No, uh, let me."

"Nathan," She looked at the large number displayed across the screen. "You don't have to spend your money. I know you're low on cash, and-"

"Really, Brooke. It's the least I can do." He grinned charmingly at the check-out woman, handing her his card.

"You know, Nate, you're really something." Brooke kissed his cheek, pulling him in for a hug.

He smiled down at her, but inside, his mind was calculating up all the bills he'd have to pay sooner or later, and he mentally grimaced.

-

"You know," Brooke said as they neared her and Lucas's house, "I really had fun with you today."

"Me too." Nathan smiled at her.

"No, I mean, like, I _hate_ grocery shopping. But with you, it's actually kind of fun."

"Aw," He grinned boyishly, "Thanks, Brooke."

He was truly happy. Today, he'd seen more of the old Brooke than he'd seen _ever_ in the past few months. It was like she was really returning to normal. She'd smiled _so_ much today, and he'd been genuinely surprised. He couldn't have been more proud of her progress.

"In fact, I think we should always go food shopping together."

"You do, do you?"

"Yes."

Nathan shrugged as the house came into view. "So I guess that this makes us shopping buddies."

"I guess so." She squeezed his arm affectionately.

He frowned. Brooke eyed him suspiciously. "What's wrong, buddy?"

"Nothing, it's just - who's car is that?" He pointed towards the car in the driveway, and Brooke squinted, shrugging.

"I don't know. Look, it's a rental, though." The license plate proudly stated, 'Rented from Tree Hill Rent-a-car!'

"Huh," He managed to squeeze in beside the silver SUV, and both attempted to look through the tinted windows. "I guess someone's visiting you."

Suddenly, Brooke gasped, clutching Nathan's arm with her own. "Oh my God!"

"What?"

"How's my hair?" She flipped open the mirror in front of her, hastily pulling her hair out of a pony-tail, and then desperately trying to flatten the crease that formed because of it.

"Uh, it's fine. Brooke, who's here?"

"My outfit's nice, right? Stylish but casual, right?"

"Uh, I guess. Brooke-"

"I didn't overdo my makeup, right?" She tried to calm herself, taking deep breaths.

"No. Brooke! Who's here?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of someone else's voice.

"Brooklyn! Is that you?" Nathan's jaw dropped as he heard the unmistakable voice of Elizabeth Davis. Heels clicking towards the car proved him to be correct, and he held his breath as he rolled down his window, terrified for his life.

"Mother!" Brooke quickly recovered, a smile lighting up her features, "Hi. I can't believe you're here."

"Well, darling, are you going to let us in? It's extremely rude to keep your guests waiting outside in the cold while you sit in your car talking."

Brooke nodded. "Uh, sorry. We'll be out in a second. We've just been grocery shopping, so-"

"Okay. I'll go wait with your father." Elizabeth walked away, and Nathan stared after her.

Once she was out of sight, he turned to Brooke, panic lacing his voice. "What the _fuck _are your parents doing here?"

"I don't know," Brooke rolled her eyes. "But honestly, it's rude to keep them waiting? Is she kidding? It's rude to show up at someone's house unannounced."

"Now come on. We both know that your mother always bends the rules for herself." He shook his head, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"_Brooklyn_! We're not getting any warmer out here!"

"God, I am so not ready for this."

-

"Brooklyn, you're looking lovely." Robert Davis kissed his daughter's cheek, and she smiled up at her favored parent.

"Yes, but you do seem to have put on a little weight." Elizabeth put a hand to her cheek, as if she were pondering.

Brooke frowned. "Well, I guess that's a good thing since I lost about twenty pounds after what happened."

Taken aback, Elizabeth bit her lip. "I didn't mean.." She trailed off. Her gaze went towards Nathan.

"Nathan! It's a pleasure to see you. I didn't even recognize that it was you in the car beside Brooklyn."

"Uh, yeah." He tried to smile, but failed miserably.

"How have you been?"

"I'm getting divorced." He shrugged.

Robert laughed. "Well, of course you are, son. You got married when you were just a child!"

Elizabeth chuckled along with him, but Brooke and Nathan stood still, lips not even twitching the slightest bit.

"Uh, how long are you two staying?"

"We just came for the night to see you, Sweetheart." Her father ran a hand through Brooke's creased hair.

"Gee, thanks."

"We'll be staying for dinner, and then we're driving on to your father's business meeting in Charlotte." Elizabeth looked distastefully around the house.

"Of course." Brooke nodded.

Robert opened his mouth to speak just as the door opened. Lucas stepped in, briefcase in one hand and water bottle in the other.

"Brooke, I'm ho-me.." He trailed off, eyes landing on his parents-in-law.

"Lucas!" Elizabeth exclaimed, standing to wrap Lucas up in a hug. He stiffly accepted, obviously terrified.

"What are you guys doing here?" He tried to fake happiness, but could not. His smile was plastered on, and his eyes showed fear.

"They're here for dinner, Sweetie." Brooke walked to her husband, wrapping her arms around him, hoping he'd somehow be able to protect her from them.

"You came all the way from California just to have dinner?" He asked doubtfully.

"Well, no," Robert admitted. "I have a business meeting, and Tree Hill was on the way."

"Yeah, because-"

Lucas cut her off, knowing her words would be bitter. "That's nice of you. Brooke and I haven't seen you in years."

"I know. We really wanted to visit after what happened-" Elizabeth began.

"-but things with work just got very busy." Robert finished for his wife.

"Of course. It's fine. We got by." Brooke challenged, holding on to Lucas tighter - more for support now.

"Right. Well, are we going to be going out for dinner or staying in?"

Lucas and Brooke exchanged looks.

"We'll order in."

-

Lucas ripped off his tie in desperate search for another one. "I can't believe your parents are here."

"Me either! How can they just show up out of nowhere like this? You should have seen the dig they made at Nathan about his marriage with Haley!" Brooke tossed four dresses onto their bed, biting her lip as she decided which one to wear.

"Poor guy. I can't believe he has to stay for dinner. They just _assumed_ he has no life!" Lucas pulled on a pair of charcoal colored pants.

"I just hate that they're here. As if life isn't stressful enough. And it's not like they can just be normal parents, either!"

"Sweetie, Dan Scott's my father."

"God, I know," She paused, picking two dresses off their bed, "Purple or emerald?"

"Uh, purple." He slid into a blue button up shirt, and watched as she slipped off her outfit, gliding easily into the spaghetti strapped, purple dress.

Brooke sat on their bed, taking a deep breath.

"Baby, you okay?" Lucas took a seat beside her.

"I just hate that they're here. They've always made my life _so_ difficult, you know? And just when I thought I was free, they're back. Probably here to start some more drama."

"It's going to be okay. Don't worry. I know it's hard, but just - don't let them get to you."

"Easier said than done, Luke." She smiled weakly.

"I promise I'll try my hardest to help you through it."

She leaned into him, smiling. Looking up into his eyes, she shrugged. "One last kiss before we face the worst punishment anyone could ever receive?"

"Of course." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down for a kiss. Their lips met briefly, and he pulled away, resting their foreheads together.

"We'll get through this."

-

"Brooklyn, there isn't enough parmesan in this salad." Elizabeth stated as she looked down at her arugula salad.

"Well, I didn't make it, mother."

"I realize that, but you couldn't have prepped it up a little before serving it?"

"Nope."

"So, Lucas, how's business?" Robert nodded towards his son-in-law.

"It's pretty good." Lucas shrugged.

"And Nathan?"

Nathan, who hadn't said much at all throughout dinner, shrugged. "Uh, not too good, actually."

"Still an architect?"

"Yes." He braced himself for an insult.

"Don't worry, son. Architecture is a tough business, but I'm sure you'll get there." The older man took a sip of his wine, and the three people there under thirty found themselves exchanging glances.

"Wow. Uh, thank you, sir."

Robert smiled warmly. For a moment, the table was at peace. It seemed Elizabeth didn't enjoy this, for she looked to be plotting out her next insult in her head.

"So, Nathan, why are you and Haley splitting up?"

The younger Scott brother shifted uncomfortably. "Um, things just - didn't work out, I guess."

"Did she cheat on you again?"

"Mother!" Brooke snapped.

"What? I'm just asking the boy an innocent question."

Nathan shook his head. "No. Um, I'd actually prefer if we _didn't_ talk about this, if that's okay."

"Sure, Sweetheart."

Brooke rolled her eyes, and Lucas caught her gaze. She smiled warmly, but looked down. She was seconds away from exploding.

Elizabeth looked down at her salad. "This salad's a little dry, Brooklyn."

"Put some dressing on it." She spoke through clenched teeth.

"Oh, it's fine." Elizabeth shrugged distastefully.

Lucas squeezed his wife's hand. "So, how have you two been?"

"Oh, you know," Robert shrugged, "California's great. I must say, I do love Los Angeles. The traffic's horrible, but I love living there. We just added an indoor pool to the house-"

"An outdoor one's not enough?" Brooke raised her eyebrows.

"Well, for events that are hosted at our house, it's sometimes too cold to be outside, so we have our nice room inside instead."

"You _need_ a pool at your event?"

"Well, they compliment a party nicely, Sweetheart." Robert shrugged uncomfortably. He could tell his daughter was less than pleased, but he couldn't understand why.

"You know," He said softly, "I think this house could do with some re-doing. I was looking it over, and frankly, it just isn't as nice as some of the other houses on this street."

"How would you know? You haven't been inside the other houses."

"I just know, darling." He smiled in a condescending manner.

"Honestly, Brooklyn, the lack of parmesan in this is-"

"Fine, you know what?" Brooke stood, going around the table, and grabbing her mother's plate, "I'll get you your parmesan cheese, since you seem to be incapable."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, following her daughter to the kitchen.

"Darling, that was extremely rude. I think you should apologize to-"

"Mom, shut the fuck up! I don't care if I'm being rude to you! This is my house, and I'll be as rude as I please!" She'd grabbed the cheese grater, and was hurriedly running a chunk of parmesan up and down it.

"Brooklyn, why are you acting like this? You know, I told you that marrying that Scott boy was-"

"God, I don't understand why _you're_ this way! My entire life, all I've ever tried to do is be good enough for you, but nothing is _ever_ good enough for you! Why do you always insult _everything_ I do? Why can't you just support my decisions? Why are you such a bitch one hundred percent of the time?"

She was now ferociously grating the cheese, no longer paying much attention. "I just - I don't get it! Mom, what did I ever do that you feel the need to treat me this way?"

"I'm just trying to help you, Brooklyn." She barely managed to say. She'd never been more shocked in her life. Brooke had never spoken to her in such a manner.

"By the way, I _hate _it when you call me Brooklyn! It's the worst first name ever, and I can't believe you even named me that!"

Elizabeth's face went stern. "Whether or not you like it does not matter. _I_ like it."

"Do you really? Or was it just another way to prove that you're so much more than me? By giving me a stupid name. Huh? You know, all I ever wanted was to make you proud. And you just barge in here after years of not seeing me, and you insult everything! Including poor Nathan, who's an innocent victim in all this, and doesn't need to be reminded of his failed marriage - time and time again!"

"Brooklyn," Elizabeth's eyes widened, "Your hand."

Brooke looked down at her fingers. Her thumb, index, and middle finger were all bleeding profusely. She'd cut them while grating, and had not realized it. Her fingers suddenly felt as if they were throbbing, and she bit back tears, taking the grated cheese, and dumping it into her mother's salad.

"There you go!" She cheerfully held out her arm. Her mother did not budge. "Take it! Take it!" She began to cry, tossing the plate deep into the sink. It shattered. Elizabeth jumped, and watched her daughter in surprise.

"Why didn't you come visit me after I lost my baby?" Brooke sobbed. "Why didn't you care?"

"I couldn't come. Your father.." Elizabeth trailed off.

"I've never been so hurt in my life! All I wanted was for you and daddy to be there! And he couldn't take a _couple_ days off work? You couldn't leave your stupid _clubs_ for a week?"

"Brooklyn, please. It wasn't that simple."

"Simple?" Brooke wiped at her tears, advancing slowly towards Elizabeth. "A man raped me! He threw me down a flight of stairs, and I lost my baby! He pushed me up against a wall and I begged him to stop, and he didn't care the slightest bit! And neither did you!"

Tears ran slowly down Elizabeth's face. She shook her head. "I have to go."

She walked out of the kitchen, leaving Brooke behind to herself. She sobbed, holding her cut hand close to her chest, and using the other to cup over her mouth. She sunk to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

Elizabeth rushed out of the kitchen. "Bobby, can you please get our coats? I'd like to leave. Now."

Lucas and Nathan both stood, wishing quiet good-byes as they walked towards the kitchen. Lucas quickly rushed towards his wife's side, wrapping her in his arms.

Nathan stood behind, looking back and forth from the direction Robert and Elizabeth had went, to where Brooke now sat. He remembered how happy she'd been earlier on, and now - now, she was the exact opposite.

She'd taken twelve steps forward, and now twenty back.

Sighing, he awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets.

How had the day managed to go from so good to so bad?


	14. I See No Signs of Fortress

**Author's Note: **_I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I don't know why. There's nothing about it that's particularly special or anything. I guess I've just missed writing.. Well, you'll see what I'm talking about. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone for the reviews. I'm really glad with the reviews people are giving for this story, and I hope you guys can keep it up, because you're amazing. Thanks so much. _

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Fourteen: **_I See No Signs of Fortress_

With a heavy sigh, Brooke stared up at the ceiling of her and Lucas's bedroom. She lay on their bed, legs straight out in front of her, and one hand pressed tightly to her chest, while the other cradled it.

Lucas popped his head into the room as he fixed his tie. She found herself wondering why he stayed with her; put up with her madness. "Hey Sweetie," He smiled.

"Hi."

"I'm just heading out for work. Wanted to make sure you were okay." He walked towards the bed, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Wonderful Husband." She smiled up at him, and he grinned in response, before walking out of the bedroom.

"Love you!" Lucas called as he walked down the stairs.

"Love you too!"

She sighed as she heard the front door close, squeezing her eyes shut. Then, after a couple moments, she sat up. She pushed herself completely up, and looked out the window, watching Lucas speed away.

Brooke found her eyes traveling down to her hand. It was now bandaged up in perfectly white bandages, leaving almost none of her hand visible. Lucas and Nathan had taken her to the Emergency Room two nights before, after the bleeding had refused to cease, leaving her with the constant reminder of her parents' visit.

She was now fully over it. Lucas had managed to calm her down, and after the doctor had wrapped up her hand, she'd gone home and straight to bed. The next morning, she'd woken up, straightened herself out, and was now trying to pretend the incident had never happened.

However, she _had_ called her mother to apologize. Brooke knew that she had not been wrong in her accusations, but in all honesty, her mother was like a child. And no matter how hard Brooke tried to get her to see things her way, she would never succeed, so it was hardly worth all the struggle.

Brooke leaned against the window frame, looking out at the large houses lined up on her street. It was funny. They were all so similar. And not just the way they looked. The types of people that lived there were basically all the same. Rich husbands with their money-obsessed wives. Their kids - Tree Hill High's next generation - snuck out and drunk and did drugs, while managing to put up the perfect, angelic faces when their parents questioned them.

She almost longed to be a teenager again; not completely oblivious to the drama surrounding you, but able to indulge yourself in school activities to forget about it.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts, and she frowned. She liked thinking. Granted, sometimes it did get her into trouble, but she quite enjoyed it.

Shuffling at her own, calm pace, Brooke made her way down the staircase, pulling the door open with a smile on her face.

The man on the other end looked to be some sort of delivery man. He held a large, yellow envelope in his hands, on top of a clipboard. He wore what a UPS guy would usually wear, and Brooke scrunched her nose in distaste at the outfit.

"Hi, can I help you?" She focused her eyes on the envelope.

"Um, yes, actually," He paused, "I'm looking for.. Nathan Scott. Is he, by any chance, here?"

She made a face. "I think so. Hold on a second."

She leaned away from the door, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Nate! You here? Nathan!"

In seconds, he was down the stairs, right beside her. "Uh-huh?"

"There's someone here to see you." She gestured towards the open front door.

Nathan frowned. "Is that for me?"

The man nodded. He handed Nathan the envelope, and then his clipboard. "Sign right here, please."

Nathan did as he was told. "Thanks." He told the man, who simply nodded, walking off.

"Ooh, Nathan got a package." Brooke shut the door, following her brother-in-law as he walked towards the kitchen.

He traced his fingers along the edge of the envelope, trying to tug it open. Instead, he slid his finger along the corner edge, giving himself a nice, clean paper cut.

"Ouch. Fuck." He quickly slipped his finger into his mouth, sucking the blood away from the tiny cut.

Brooke found herself smiling slightly. "Just be lucky yours doesn't look this." She held up her bandaged hand.

Nathan almost instantly lowered his hand from his mouth, the envelope briefly forgotten. "Speaking of which, how is it?"

"Eh, it's fine. Hurts a little, but I mean, I did practically grate it, so that's to be expected." Although it was meant to be a joke, it hung in the air between them awkwardly.

Nathan bit his lip, looking down. "And um, how are you?"

"I'm fine," She smiled, quickly searching for a way to change the subject. "Are you ever going to open that thing? I'm getting anxious as to what it is."

"Right. Sorry. I don't get too excited when it comes to envelopes, though."

She chuckled, and he grabbed a knife, slicing the top of the yellow envelope open, and then pulling out the contents. He read slowly, and Brooke stood impatiently, tapping her foot against the ground.

"Oh my God." The knife fell from his hands, hitting the ground between them. Brooke jumped back, a frown forming on her features as she picked it up, placing it on the counter.

"What's wrong? What does it say?"

"It's Haley," He lowered the papers, "She's filed for a divorce."

"What? No way!" Brooke grabbed the papers from his hands, and her eyes widened farther and farther with each word she read.

"I can't believe it." Nathan tried to lean against the counter for support, but found that he was too tall for it to work out.

"God, why didn't she tell you about it first? She could have at least called, so this wasn't so out of the blue."

"It's too soon," He frowned. "It's too soon for us to be already getting divorced."

"I'm sorry, Nate." Brooke dropped the papers on the table, pulling him in for a tight hug.

"Sit," She ordered. "I'll make coffee. Really, _really_ strong coffee."

Nathan did as he was told, still staring in shock at the divorce papers before him. He ran his hands through his short hair, reading the words over and over.

_Haley Elise James-Scott._

He read her name about a hundred times. He remembered how he'd loved her name in high school; how he'd thought it had fit her so perfectly. He wondered if she regretted changing her name to match his.

_Irreconcilable differences.. _

He shook is head. Had that been it? The reason they'd split? Irreconcilable differences? Because they couldn't get along, and they hadn't loved each other the same in years?

Brooke placed a coffee cup before him, and then a kiss on his forehead. "Oh, Nate. I'm _so_ sorry."

He shrugged. "I thought she'd file these in a couple months or so, you know? I thought that she - being Haley - would talk to me about it first."

Brooke sat beside him, running her hands comfortingly through his hair. "I know, Sweetie. I guess," She paused, "Sometimes people can just really surprise you."

Nathan turned to look at her.

She offered a smile. "Look, it's probably for the better."

"Maybe."

Taking a sip of the coffee she'd brewed for him, Brooke shook her head. "I just don't understand. Why so soon? You guys separated less than a month ago."

"Maybe there's another guy." Nathan shrugged. He felt annoyed at the thought. Brooke was right! They hadn't even been separated for a month, and already she was looking for new prey?

"I doubt it. I think that maybe, she just wants to move on. You know? She knows there's no hope, so she doesn't want to prolong any more hurt."

He shrugged his shoulders, and found that they sagged afterwards. "Twenty-two and divorced already. That's - it's wonderful."

"Nate.."

He pulled away from her grasp. "Thank you, Brooke. But I think right now, I just need to like, lie down or something."

"Of course. If you need anything.."

"You'll be the one I call." He attempted a smile, and then he was gone.

Brooke stared after him. Once he was out of sight, her jaw dropped. She looked back down at the divorce papers, running her hands over her lips. God, how had they become this way?

She could remember a time where she'd been good friends with Haley, and Haley had been happily married to Nathan. They'd all been happy then, really. And now, so much had changed. So many people were unhappy, and so much hurt was traveling around through such a small group of people.

She doubted they'd ever return to normal.

-

Nathan closed his door, instantly falling back onto the guest bed.

"Divorced," He said to himself. "I'm divorced."

It just didn't sound right.

"Hi, I'm Nathan Scott… Am I married? Oh, no. Actually, I'm divorced." He ran his hands over his head, suddenly feeling a migraine coming on.

"_It's for you." Nathan handed her the bracelet, his trademark smirk forming on his face as he did._

"_Stop it." Haley frowned._

_And although she conveyed a look of offense, she didn't stop him as he slid the plastic bracelet on her tiny wrist._

"_Just don't say I never gave you anything." _

He stared up at the ceiling. His eyes seemed to turn a darker shade of blue as he searched for answers. Somewhere. Anywhere.

"Oh, her name was Haley James. Haley James-Scott, actually. We got married when we were sixteen.. Was it an arranged marriage? No. We loved each other.. Please stop laughing. I know it's weird, but I guess I figured that it was love back then." He spoke to the imaginary woman, who would surely, at this point of the conversation, turn and walk away.

"_I just- I keep putting myself out there for you, and you keep blowing it! And it's probably a good thing too, because at this point, there's nothing you could possibly say or do that could surprise me-" _

_He cut her off, pressing his lips to hers. She didn't exactly kiss back, pulling away, and looking unsure._

"_Nathan, you shouldn't have done that." _

"_I wanted to." He shrugged. It wasn't exactly a good excuse, but it was the truth._

"_Yeah." And in mere seconds, she'd wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him down for another, more passionate kiss._

He closed his eyes, but more memories quickly flooded through his mind. Curling his hand into a fist, he slammed it into the mattress.

"_Now, I'll say it again. I could hold you in my arms forever." _

"_So could I, but-" _

"_So why can't forever start today?"_

He often wondered: Had he forced her to marry him? Had he made her do something she truly wasn't ready for?

After all, they'd only been sixteen. He'd been completely clear on his feelings for her, but she'd always seemed a little unsure.

Sighing, he stood, leaving the bedroom. As he exited out into the hallway, he frowned. Standing right before him, was himself. But it appeared he was not alone. Suddenly, Nathan realized he was in the middle of a flashback.

"_Nathan!" Haley giggled, pushing him away._

"_You know, you're looking pretty hot right now." He tugged her a little farther up the stairs, his eyes darting towards the guest room. _

"_Uh-huh. I happen to believe you're trying your hardest to get laid." She teased, nudging him._

"_So, do you think it's gonna happen?" _

"_Not right now! Nathan, Brooke and Lucas just moved in to this beautiful house, and they're showing it to us and Peyton. And as their guests, I think we need to respect them, and get back down-" _

_He cut her off, lifting her easily off the ground, and stumbling backwards. _

_She rolled her eyes. "Oh, to hell with it." _

_She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, feeling a wave of complete desire wash over her. "Make it quick." _

"_Oh Honey," He made a face, "You know I can't do that." _

Sighing, Nathan turned around, walking in the opposite direction of his flashback. He peered into Brooke and Lucas's room, where Brooke lay on the bed. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deep, slow breaths. His eyes focused on her bandaged hand, so protectively held by the other.

Sighing, he walked downstairs towards the abandoned kitchen. The papers lay strewn across the counter.

Swallowing hard, Nathan took a seat at the island. He reached a hand out, dragging the papers across the table, towards himself. He grabbed a pen, and with a heavy sigh, he signed his name across his end of the dotted line.

"_..And I thought, if I could just get up, I'd walk up to you and tell you how I feel. How you mean everything to me. How nothing else matters." His voice went weak, and the last part came out as a whisper._

_Disbelief coursed through her eyes. She'd never known him to be half the person he actually was. A smile lighting up her features, she pulled him in for a kiss. _


	15. Way Offside and I'm Almost Empty

**Author's Note: **Okay, so basically, this is the worst chapter of the entire story so far. Hah. Honestly, I'm not just saying that. It's another filler chapter, and I had to write it, but I didn't really enjoy how it turned out - at all. I hope you feel differently, but I have a strong feeling you won't. Don't worry. Things definitely get better from here. Thank you all so much for the reviews, and I **hope**to get more feedback for this chapter!

Also, I'm going away for the next five days, and I won't have any internet. And _then_, I'm going to be here for about three days before I leave again for ten. So hopefully I'll have enough time to write you guys a better update. I know you deserve it. Heh. Anyway, yeah. Enjoy. (Hopefully.)

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Fifteen: Way Offside and I'm Almost Empty **

Nathan closed the door gently behind him as he entered the house. It was only eight, and he wasn't entirely sure Brooke would be up yet. He tugged off his sweatshirt, revealing his sweat-soaked tank-top. He'd been running for the past two hours, and it had really taken a toll on his now sore body.

Heaving a heavy sigh, he dragged his body up the stairs. He quickly checked on Brooke, who lay asleep in her and Lucas's bed.

Lucas had left for another business trip only hours earlier. Nathan had run into him in the kitchen on his way out.

"_Nathan?" Lucas asked in disbelief as he entered the kitchen, grabbing the coffee pot._

_Nathan cast his eyes up from the papers before him. "Hi." _

"_What are you doing up this early? It's four A.M." He poured some coffee into his thermos. _

"_Oh, is it? I've just been preoccupied, I guess." _

_With a sigh, Lucas dropped his bag to the ground, taking a seat next to his brother at the island. _

"_Brooke told me about the divorce. I really - I'm so shocked. I can't believe it." _

"_Me either." Lucas looked over his brother. His shoulders were slumped over, and dark circles lined the underneath of his eyes. _

"_Hey, Nate. Don't worry." _

"_I don't - I'm just so confused right now." Nathan shrugged._

"_Everyone really wanted things to work out for you two. Especially me. I mean, she was my best friend. My brother and my best friend? It seemed like a perfect match." Nathan glanced at his brother, who now seemed to be deep in thought._

"_I hope you know that I won't be mad if you still want to hang out with her, or whatever." Nathan offered._

_Lucas smiled faintly. "Thanks, man. But you're my brother. My loyalty's with you now." _

_Nathan dropped his head into his hands. "Thanks, Luke. That really means a lot to me. I just don't know what I'm going to do. I can't imagine myself as being divorced right now." _

_Lucas squeezed his brother's shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise, Little Brother." _

Nathan sighed, venturing into his bathroom. He flicked the knob in the shower, and almost instantaneously, hot water began to fall.

He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. With a content sigh, he allowed the scalding hot water to ease and knead at his muscles. Bracing both hands against the wall, he stood in complete peace.

After about fifteen minutes, he finally got out, wrapping a towel around his waist, and flopping down on his bed.

He assumed he'd fallen asleep at some point, because when he woke up, the clock read _9:20_ as compared to the _8:00_ it had donned earlier.

Nathan stood and quickly dressed in a blue polo shirt and jeans, walking once more towards Brooke and Lucas's room.

The brunette was now very much awake, sitting by the window. One of her legs was folded underneath her, and she was holding the other with her arms. She was gazing straight out the window, blinking every so often.

"Knock knock."

She looked towards the doorway, a smile easing up on her lips. "Hey."

He nodded, walking inside the room, and taking a seat on the bed. It felt strange and slightly forbidden. He was sitting on his brother's bed. Where his brother got pleasured He almost chuckled at his mental wording, but decided against it upon the thought of Brooke's reaction.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. I ran for hours today and I just sort of let myself detoxify the thought of Haley from my mind."

Brooke looked almost worried. "Are you sure that's what you should be doing?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I wasn't at first, but I thought about her and the whole situation a lot, and it definitely seems like the right thing to do."

"As long as you're sure." She murmured, resting her head on her knee and focusing back out the window.

"How are _you_? I mean, I know you're probably upset with Lucas gone again." He wondered if she'd give him a straight, honest answer.

"I'm fine." Nope.

Nathan made a face. "I don't believe you. How are you really?"

She looked over at him, and he could not read her expression. He was sure there was some definite annoyance there.

"Peachy." She formed a grin he knew to be fake. He felt slightly annoyed himself. He thought that they'd passed that whole stage. They were at the point now where they could merely be honest with each other, weren't they?

"Brooke, anyone that says that they're feeling _peachy_ is lying." He smirked at her, and her fake grin dropped. She made a face, shrugging.

"When did you become Mr. Know-It-All, anyway?" She realized she was probably being stubborn, but this really meant nothing to her.

Nathan sighed, leaning back. He was better at this game than she was. "I've always been Mr. Know-It All. People just never trust me. Apparently it's because I'm 'the guy that got married when he was sixteen.'"

She giggled. He smiled.

Throwing her legs down onto the ground, she frowned. "I just hate how he he's always traveling. I mean, he never used to travel this much, did he?"

"No. I mean, I don't really know. I never lived here before."

"But you were over here like, every day."

"True. But I don't know. I don't really remember."

Brooke slumped over, resting her elbows on her knees, and her head on her hands. "That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. But whatever."

"Brooke," Nathan rolled his eyes. "He's not having an affair."

Her eyes lit up. "You're sure of this?"

"Positive."

"Okay. I mean, not that that was bothering me, or anything."

"Huh. Okay." Nathan chuckled.

Brooke cocked an eyebrow. "What? You don't believe me?"

"Not at all."

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe I thought about it a _little_, but not much."

"Okay.." Disbelief still laced his voice.

"Nathan!" She squeaked uneasily.

"Don't worry. I won't tell Lucas."

She smiled appreciatingly. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

They were silent for a few moments, but it wasn't like the awkward silences that sometimes filled their serious conversations. This was a contemplative silence. Nathan felt almost grateful that he and Brooke had reached such a stage where they had these types of silences.

Years before, he would have never pictured himself and Brooke in this situation. Especially in high school, when she had just been his girlfriend's annoyingly popular friend. And even when she was Lucas's girlfriend. He would have just never seen this coming, to put in plainly.

But then again, he wouldn't have seen himself married and divorced to Haley James all before his twenty-fifth birthday.

"I really miss him when he's gone." She said slowly. Her voice was almost cautious, and he realized then that she was trying to tell him how she felt without actually telling him her heart.

"I know. Don't worry. He misses you too. He loves you more than anything."

"God, I do too. I know it doesn't seem like it sometimes, but I really do."

"I know, Brooke."

"Sometimes I get scared, though. Because of reasons I can't even explain." And her gaze was now outside the window once more, and he wondered if she was talking more to herself than him.

"Everyone does." He reasoned with a shrug.

"Yeah," She nodded slowly. "I just hope Lucas knows that."


	16. On The Edge

**Author's Note: **Okay, so last chapter was definitely a filler chapter, and I'm glad some people understood why it was necessary. Don't worry, there are few - if any - filler chapters left. This chapter is, uh, not a filler chapter. Haha. Um, I hope you guys review and enjoy. It's a little.. mature, I'd say. But yeah. I kind of struggled to write this, and hopefully that doesn't show _too_ much.

If this chapter is any good, I dedicate it to all the Brucas-ers, who have been killing me for the lack of Lucas. Hehe.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Sixteen: On The Edge**_

The second the front door clicked open, Brooke took off running towards it. As Lucas pushed the door open - bag in one hand and laptop case in other - he was suddenly thrown backwards with the weight of her body.

"Nice to see you too." He grinned, dropping his bags and wrapping his arms around her. In just her Victoria's Secret pajama shorts and soft pink tank-top, with her hair down and ruffled, she looked absolutely adorable.

She paused to look at his face before lowering her lips to his. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, pulling her closer.

Nathan descended from the stairs then, jogging towards the door. "I'm just going to go for a run," He laughed, shaking his head as he went.

Brooke pulled away. "I missed you."

"I can tell," Lucas chuckled. "I missed you too."

He took a couple steps forward so that they were back inside the house, and then turned to shut the door. Once more, Brooke found herself immersed in studying his face; his eyes, his nose, his mouth.

"Don't go on anymore business trips." She said in his ear, inhaling the scent of his aftershave.

"I wish I didn't have to." He kissed her hair, and then her neck.

She bit her lip. "Let's go upstairs."

-

The gleam of morning's light filtered through the curtains, casting a quixotic light on the bedroom.

Lucas and Brooke stumbled through, removing pieces of clothing as they went. She tugged at his tie while he tugged at her top. Once he'd shed his button-up, he skillfully plucked off his undershirt, leaving his chest bare.

She pulled him down on top of her, kissing every curve and crevice she could find atop him. Rolling them around so that she was on top, she undid her bra, allowing him to take it off her.

Both breathing heavily, they easily managed to discard the rest of their clothing. Lucas rolled them back around, sucking and kissing at random parts of her chest and stomach, until finally reaching farther south.

She giggled and bucked her hips, her fists grabbing handfuls of the sheet below them.

Lucas brought himself back up, kissing her lips tenderly. She allowed their tongues to dance, before pulling away, pleasuring him as he'd pleasured her - only slower.

His breath hitched in his throat. "Tease."

She grinned. Slowly, she pulled herself back on top of him, situating herself. Moving in sync, the two rode the waves pleasure together and similarly, climaxing at the same time.

Now, laying in each other's arms minutes later, the two lovers kissed softly and tenderly.

"I love you so much." Lucas murmured, running a hand slowly up and down her arm.

"I love you too. God, you don't even know how much." Brooke buried her head in his chest, sighing contently.

Silence enveloped them then. She took comfort in it, for it was not an awkward silence of any sort, but more of a contemplative silence. Studying Lucas's breathing movements, Brooke assumed he'd fallen asleep, and tried to do the same.

"I've been thinking." His voice surprised her. She looked up so that their eyes met.

"Yeah?"

"I know it's been a rough year for us with everything that's happened. We've struggled just to get to this point right here, but I thought - I don't know. Maybe.. Maybe we could try again.." He trailed off nervously, searching her face for some sort of reaction.

"Try again." She repeated numbly.

Lucas nodded. "We could try to have another child. I think maybe we're ready.."

She sat up. "Lucas…"

"Brooke, I know that you're scared, because of what happened. But I think this time things will be different. I think-"

Brooke pulled away from him completely. "No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want _another _child." She spat out.

"Baby, please. Don't be like this. We went through a hard time, but-"

"A hard time? A hard time!" Brooke laughed bitterly. "Lucas, it was a little _worse_ than a hard time, wouldn't you say?"

Lucas sat up, grabbing her hands. "What happened to you is beyond terrible. I can't even imagine it, and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. But I think we both need to try to move forward. I think we can do it together, if we try.."

"If we try? Lucas, you're never here anymore! Have you not noticed?"

"If you got pregnant, I definitely would stop traveling. The company knows what we've been through, and I'm positive they'd give me a break."

"No. I don't want to get pregnant again."

"Brooke," He made a face. "I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen to you."

"And if it wasn't meant to be the last time, what makes you think it will be this time?"

"I love you. I want to have a family with you." He shrugged.

Brooke shook her head, grabbing the sheet off the bed. "I can't."

She stalked towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure how things always managed to go from _so _good to _so _terrible _so_ quickly.

-

_The box. That was the first thing she saw in his arms. _

_Her eyes widened when she heard herself yell, "Please don't take those!" _

_It appeared the thief had heard her as well, as he turned towards her almost immediately after she'd done it. _

_Staring into this man's cold, dark eyes with her own hazel ones, she suddenly felt the most fear she'd ever felt before in her life. Nothing compared to how quickly her heart beat picked up its pace, or how instantly, under his gaze, she began to shake._

_And then he charged towards her, and that fear was magnified times a million. _

Her eyes snapped open.

She could still see his image as clear as day. She could remember everything about him, about that moment. If she tried, she could see him running towards her with such coldness and carelessness as he had that day, as clearly as if she were watching a video of it.

Brooke ran a hand through her hair, looking at her disheveled appearance in the mirror. She'd gone from looking so happy to looking so terrible. The makeup she'd put on this morning had smeared from the tears that had teased her eyes, barely making it down her cheeks.

Why had this happened to her? Why couldn't she just be happy? For some reason, it was like she was being punished. Since high school, her life had magically managed to fill up with drama. It wasn't fair.

"_Please," Brooke sobbed. "I'm sorry. Take what you want, but don't hurt me. I'm pregnant. Please. I'm pregnant." _

"_Shut the fuck up." He cursed, arms traveling up the bottom of her maternity dress._

_Squeezing her eyes shut, Brooke leaned back as he entered her roughly. She tried to leave her body, then. Tried to zone away like she'd heard people had managed to do before. She found this task impossible. _

_He turned her around, pressing her stomach against the wall, and lifting up the back of her dress. Choking on her tears, Brooke could not stop the loud cries that escaped her._

"Brooke," She heard Lucas's voice through the door she'd sat herself against. Rubbing her hands underneath her eyes, Brooke decided not to reply.

_He shoved her against the wall. She winced. _

"_Please, just go." _

"_Come on, Bitch. That's all I get?"_

_Tears running down her face, she shrugged her shoulders. At this point, she could barely stand. All she wanted to do was lay down. _

"_This'll teach you to tell me what not to take." He whispered harshly in her ear. _

_Before she had a moment to comprehend his words, she was falling down the stairs, the life of her unborn baby flashing before her eyes. _

"I'm sorry. Please, baby. Just come back out."

She sighed, uncrossing her legs and pushing herself up to a standing position. Swallowing, she jiggled the lock and pulled the door back. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief, drawing her body into himself.

"I'm not ready yet, Luke." She whispered into his chest. He nodded.

"That's okay. It's, it's fine."

She wondered if it truly was.


	17. To Far In To Stop

**Author's Note: **I've had this written for a few days, but for some reason the site wouldn't let me post it. Thank you **so** much for last chapter's reviews, and enjoy this one. I actually (surprisingly) kind of like it.

_**  
Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Seventeen: Too Far In To Stop  
**_

"..So I said, 'Tammy, it's Thursday. Trash day is Wednesday.' And let me tell you. She just threw a _fit_. I mean, it was mildly amusing, but at the same time, very, _very_ horrifying." Peyton stifled a giggle using her hand, and Brooke forced a chuckle.

"B. Davis-Scott," Peyton's eyes narrowed to slits. "Is something wrong?"

Brooke sighed, taking a sip of her wine. They'd been sitting at this restaurant, 'Le Mousier' for almost a have hour, and she could simply not take her mind of the previous day's events. How she had _freaked _on Poor Lucas, who had simply been throwing out a - completely just - suggestion.

"No, I'm - I'm fine. Lucas and I just got into a little argument yesterday." She shrugged.

"About what?"

Brooke hesitated, opening her mouth and then closing it. Shaking her head, she reached for her glass of wine once more. "Kids."

"Ah. Luke wants one?"

"Yeah, and I understand _completely_, but I'm just - I'm just-"

"Not ready?" Peyton smiled.

Brooke nodded. "Exactly. I mean, is that irrational? It _has_ been a while, I guess. I just don't _want_ to be one of those irrational stubborn wives that drives her husband away because she's drowning in self-pity."

"Brooke," Peyton reached her for hand. "You aren't irrational. You were," She lowered her voice, "_attacked_ for God's sake. There's no one in this entire _universe _that should blame you if you don't feel like having another kid right now."

"You think?"

"Hell yes! And Lucas should understand that.."

"He does, he does. He's been so good to me, Peyton. I just hope he doesn't think I'm taking him for granted because I'm not. I wouldn't. I'm just not ready."

"Lucas loves you. I'm sure he'd wait forever."

Maybe so, but she couldn't put up with herself for much longer. What had happened was not Lucas's fault. So why should he suffer the consequences anyway?

She shrugged her shoulders as if to shrug off the discussion. "So, P. Sawyer, tell me about your _love life_."

Peyton made a face. "Nice subject change."

"Thank you." Brooke winked.

"Um, currently? It's basically non-existent."

Brooke frowned, sitting up straighter. "What? But I thought you had a thing for Hot Neighbor Guy."

"I did," Peyton shrugged. "But we haven't spoken in weeks, and every time he sees me, he gives me a wave and walks away.."

"Oh, Goldilocks."

Peyton rolled her eyes, leaning forward to take a bite of her chicken. "Oh, hush. It really isn't that big of a deal. I don't mind being alone."

But Brooke knew her best friend, and she knew this was not true. Since she'd been a child, she'd liked company. Especially when her father was away on business growing up. She often pretended she didn't mind being in her own company, but the truth was, Brooke could see right through the act. It was part of the reason they were so close; they shared those feelings.

-

Brooke sighed as she flipped through the magazine. Growing up, she'd _loved_ Vogue, and all of its details. But lately, she felt bored with the magazine. The latest issues had certainly been sub-par and had featured the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton on their covers; two people of whom she did not respect whatsoever.

But maybe it wasn't the magazine that was troubling her. She'd been worried about Peyton since they'd had lunch that afternoon. She could tell Peyton wasn't her usual self. Despite her arguments, lately Peyton had lacked a certain glow. The same glow she'd lacked years before when Jake had left. Brooke just wanted to give it back to her. How? She had no idea.

"Brooke?"

She looked up, meeting Lucas's questioning gaze with a smile. "Uh-huh?"

"I've said your name like, four times in a row. Did you not hear me?" He was standing by the refrigerator, and from her spot on the dining room table, the sun reflected off his light hair nicely, casting a handsome shadow over his face.

"No, Sweetie, I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"Uh, well, I asked how Peyton was doing. My question has however now changed to: how are _you_?" Semi-worriedly, he took a few steps closer to her.

"I'm fine, thanks. Just," She shrugged, "worried about P. Sawyer. She's been all weird acting lately."

Lucas frowned. "Do you know why?"

Brooke shook her head. "I'm guessing it's because she's lonely. I mean, she doesn't have a boyfriend, and she lives all by herself in that house, which could easily fit an entire family. I'm just worried about her."

He nodded faintly. "I feel the same way about Nathan. This thing with Haley is really kicking his ass, you know? And it isn't like he has much to do, or anyone to be with, so he really spends all his time running and drawing up an architectural plan he knows will never happen."

The two sat silently, each contemplating the issues of their loved ones, neither bothering to contemplate those of their own.

Taking a sip of some water, Lucas's eyes widened, and he suddenly began to cough, sputtering water all around. "I've got an idea!" He managed.

Brooke made a face, looking over the now wet pages of her magazine. "Ew, Lucas. Gross."

"Did you not just hear me? I said I had an idea."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's hear it."

"We can set _Peyton _up with _Nathan_." He enunciated the words and used wide hand gestures - which always told Brooke he was serious about whatever he was saying.

"Luke, no. They already dated, remember?" She shook her head. That was one of the worst ideas she'd ever heard. Peyton and Nathan had been a Class A disaster. And of all people, she would have known! She had to be there for every _single_ one of their fights.

"Yeah, in _high school_." He said the words as if they were non-important. As if they did not count.

"So? _We _dated in high school, too."

"Brooke-"

"Their relationship was primarily based on sex. The only other thing they did was fight. And fight, and fight. Luke, I can't live through that again," She groaned. "Please don't make me live through that again."

"Come on!" Lucas laughed. "I highly doubt they'll be like they were in high school. They're two completely different people now."

"Maybe so. Maybe they'll be really happy, and they'll date for years and years. But what happens when - I'm sorry, _if_ - they break up? You'll take Nathan's side, because he's your brother. But what will I do? Whose side will I take? My brother-in-law's? Or my closest friend in the entire world? And I mean, we're obviously not going to be able to invite them to the same parties, so we'll have to have Nathan-only parties and Peyton-only parties. How will we decide how to do that? Will we do heads or tails or rock, paper, scissors? Will we have to remove all the pictures of Peyton from the household before we let Nathan in? On the other side of that coin, will we remove all the picture of _Nathan_ from the household before we let _Peyton_ in? How long will that take? I mean, we have to have a good excuse if it takes more than thirty seconds to answer the door. Should we time this activity? See how good we are it? I mean, if we're-"

"Brooke!"

She shut her mouth instantly, taking a couple deep breaths. He could not stop the grin that formed on his face.

"Look, if you _really_ don't think this'll work, then we don't have to do it." He laughed.

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when she saw Nathan enter the room. Dressed in running shorts and a Nike tank-top, he opened the refrigerator, taking a bottle of water.

"Hey guys."

"Hi."

"Hey."

"We were thinking about going out for dinner," Lucas told him. "Want to come?"

Nathan bit his lip. "Nah. Thanks, but I think I'm just going to go up to my room for a while."

He nodded good-bye, and then was gone. Silence enveloped the room once more, and Brooke sighed, running her hands through her hair. She glared at Lucas, who had managed to put on the trademark Scott smirk.

"Should you call Peyton or should I?"

-

"Nathan, please. That tie looks _horrendous._" Brooke made a face, tugging on her brother-in-law's shirt.

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's the only one I have right now. All my other ones are still at my place with Haley."

"Well," She sighed. "How about the open-collar look? Peyton loves that."

"Look, I've been thinking. Don't you think it's a little weird that I'm going on a date with Peyton? I mean, I know we're different people and all, but our history is still there, and it has to count for something."

"Nathan, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. Lucas and I just want you to be happy, and," Brooke smiled. "Peyton's a pretty cool girl. Trust me, I'd know."

He sighed, the corners of his lips tugging upwards. "I know. I just don't want you and Lucas to baby-sit me. I can get my own dates, you know."

"I know! We aren't _baby-sitting _you."

"Brooke, we're all having dinner together. You're baby-sitting us."

"Nate," She grabbed his face in her hands, smiling brightly. "Tonight will be _fun_. Who knows if you and Peyton will get together, but at least you'll have a good time, you know? Like, old friends catching up. But it _could_ become more."

He placed his hands on top of hers, shaking his head. "You really think I'm ready for that?"

"I do."

-

Brooke bit her lip as the doorbell rang, taking another sip of her wine, and quickly making her way towards the door. On her way, she checked herself in the mirror. Her raven locks were straight and down - not a hair out of place. She wore a thick-strapped gold and white dress, colored with designs of all sorts in golden tones, that went just below her knees. For shoes, she'd chosen silver strappy heels. Tucking a hair behind her ear, her gaze snapped towards the door as it rang once more.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

She pulled the door open, a wide, dimpled grin showing up on her face almost instantly at the sight of her best friend.

"What took you so long? It's freaking December. You can't just leave your guests out in the cold."

Brooke giggled, taking Peyton's coat. "Welcome, welcome. Let me look you over."

Peyton sighed dramatically as Brooke grabbed her shoulders, examining her. She'd worn a silky cream-colored dress shirt, and a short, charcoal colored skirt, leaving her long legs to be complimented by the black heels she wore.

Frankly, Brooke was surprised her friend had actually bothered to dress up. When Brooke had first pitched the idea of a date - minus the Nathan part - Peyton had seemed hesitant. But as soon as the words 'Nathan Scott' had come up, she'd forcefully denied, stating it would be "way too damn weird". Nonetheless, she was here now. Who knew what that meant exactly, except that Peyton obviously _did_ want someone.

"Very nice, P. Sawyer. Or should I say P. Sawyer-Scott?"

Peyton rolled her eyes, blowing a stray curl out of her face. "Please. We'll probably just have a few drinks and laugh about how stupid we were in high school."

"Whatever you say. Nathan is looking very handsome tonight, I'll tell you."

"So why don't _you _date him?"

"Because." Brooke stuck her tongue out, deciding to use mindless juvenile delinquencies to prove her point.

"Oh, well okay then."

-

"Oh my God, yes! And do you remember that one time that Principal Turner walked in on us in the janitor's closet?" Peyton exploded with laughter, clutching her sides.

"And later when he spoke to me about it, he was like, 'I'm going to turn my head this time, Mr. Scott. Next time, however, I may have to tell your parents that you are sexually active.'" Nathan grinned, taking a sip of his drink, and rolling his eyes.

Brooke rolled her eyes as well, only out of boredom. Nathan and Peyton had been laughing for almost an hour and a half about their old inside jokes and basically everything else to do with their history. Her and Lucas had hardly even gotten a word in. Needless to say, the two were clicking. And while Lucas seemed to be happy, throwing her looks of 'I told you so' and such, she was completely annoyed, and really had no idea why.

"Did he ever tell your parents?"

"No," Nathan snorted. "That guy practically worshipped me."

Peyton made a face of distaste. "Ugh. Ego, much?"

"You know, I'd say it was my ego that attracted you in the first place, was it not?"

"Shut up." Peyton said, but she was smiling.

"No, you shut up."

"You shut up!"

Brooke groaned, clutching her head. "Both of you _please_ shut up. I'm going to go to the kitchen and get myself an Advil or something."

Even as she walked away, she could still hear their little school-girl giggling. With another roll of her eyes, she headed straight for the refrigerator, pulling out a new bottle of wine.

Begrudgingly dragging her feet back towards the group, she nearly smashed her head into the wall as she heard another, "Yes! But do you remember when..".

-

"The food was really good, Brooke." Nathan told her with a smile. She smiled back faintly, eyeing her empty wine glass. How much had she drunk?

"Yeah, it was. Where'd your order from?" Peyton teased, cocking her head to the side in mock curiosity.

"Ugh, you torturous woman. I am in no mood for your so called humor." She smirked, tossing her napkin at her friend's face.

Lucas reached over to pat her hand. "Aw, baby. Did you think she was kidding?"

Laughter echoed around the group, and Brooke gave her husband a look of death. "Oh, Sweetheart. You'll be paying for that later."

He squeezed his eyes shut. "Yeah, that was a pretty stupid move."

"Never side against the wife, Luke." Peyton advised, grinning widely.

"Yeah, trust me. I, of all people, should know." Nathan offered it as a joke, but it came out sounding almost bitter.

Brooke lowered her eyes to the ground, and Peyton gave him a sympathetic smile. He shrugged his shoulders heavily, forcing a smile upon his face. "Joke."

The friends laughed, but their smiles barely passed their mouths, not even remotely reaching their eyes.

"Well," Brooke stood. "I better get these in the dishwasher."

"I'll help." Peyton stood as well.

-

Once they were in the kitchen, Brooke found herself tossing a lazy smirk at her best friend.

"So, P. Sawyer. You and Nate were really clickin', eh?"

Peyton looked out the patio window, towards where Nathan and Lucas now sat talking. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, you know? I mean, he's a really great guy.."

"He is," Brooke agreed, bobbing her head up and down. "He is a really great guy."

"I just don't know if it's the right time."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Peyton sighed, shaking her head. "Because his divorce with Haley hasn't even gone through yet."

"So?" Brooke managed to get herself up onto the counter top, despite her slightly tipsy state.

Her golden-haired best friend shrugged. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think," Brooke slurred, "if you're in it for your own personal fun, don't do it. Whether or not he's over her - the wounds are most likely still open. With these types of situations, you should always be careful."

Why had she just done that? Her brain was screaming, 'Brooke, stop! He likes her! You can tell he likes her!', but for some reason, her mouth would just not listen. She mentally shrugged. Oh, well. It was the truth at least.

"You know, he's a wonderful guy and I really, really care about him. I just - I don't know if I want to have to be careful." Peyton said guiltily, biting her lip as she turned to look at her friend.

Honest was always the best policy, right?

"Well then. That's your answer."


	18. Have Your Cake, and Eat it Too

_**Author's Note: **_God, I know! I'm a horrible, horrible person. I hadn't even realized it had been so long since I'd updated, and then the site decided it hated me, and I couldn't post for forever. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I struggled with it for a little bit, but I think it turned out well. Anyway, thank you for reviews, and _enjoy.**  
**_

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Eighteen: Have Your Cake, and Eat it Too**_

"Is it just me, or has December been the longest month of the entire year so far?" Brooke mused to her husband as she sipped at her green tea, eyes focused on the calendar on their kitchen wall.

Lucas smiled. "December is like," he paused, "last period. You know? The end of the day at school, and you only have _one_ more class to go, and it's only fifty-five minutes long, but it feels like a million. Because it's the end. And it'll all be over soon."

"High school references," She made a face. "Gee, I sure miss those days."

He laughed, and she continued, "I don't think it will be. Over, that is. It's not like at the end of one year, your problems for the next year don't exist. The way I see it, at the start of next year, Nathan and Haley still won't be together, Nathan will still be unhappy, and we'll stay the same."

"Is that so bad?" Lucas stared at her intently, pulling off his tie, preparing to re-tie it. "That uh, you and I stay the same?"

"No, Sweetie. I didn't mean it like that," She stood, making her way towards him in quick strides, and wrapping her arms around him. "It's just that I sometimes wish things were different for us. Like, if you were around more, and I actually _did_ something with my life.."

"You _do_ do things with your life!"

"I mean, for a living."

"Baby, money isn't an issue, or anything, if that's what-"

She held a hand up. "No, no. I _know_ we're well off, trust me. I just wish I could contribute somehow."

"Well, whatever you want to do, I'll support you." Lucas said seriously, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"I know you will," She stood on the tips of her toes, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Thank you."

Footsteps echoed around the room as Nathan entered, clad in gym shorts, sneakers, and headphones. He nodded hello to the couple.

"Hey Nathan." Brooke smiled warmly, pulling away from a disappointed Lucas.

His face shifted however, from disappointment to excitement as he remembered the previous evening. "Nate, has Peyton called yet?"

Nathan sighed. "Luke-"

"I mean, I know it's been a couple days, but she's got to call at some point. Right?"

"Lucas," Nathan opened the refrigerator, grabbing a water bottle. "Peyton did call."

"She did?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Last night."

"_And.._?" Lucas grinned hopefully.

"And she said she doesn't think it's going to work out. After all, I _did_ just get out of a ten year relationship." As he said this, Brooke cast her eyes nervously to the ground. She knew it was her fault Nathan was still currently single. Why she had done it, she didn't know. Maybe deep inside she felt a little protective over her brother-in-law.

"Well, yeah, but I mean.. you guys hit it off so well."

Nathan shook his head. "That was just Peyton and I catching up, man. We were good friends in high school. _After_ we dated. We haven't talked in a while, so we had a lot to say. Luke, I'm not going to get over Haley that quickly. You're just going to have to give me some time."

Lucas looked defeated, but he understood. "Okay. I'm sorry. I just - I just wanted you to be happy."

"Well, you're definitely making it easier, brother. It just takes time.."

The two smiled at each other, and after a while, Lucas nodded. "Okay. Well, I'm off to work." He kissed Brooke quickly on the lips, patted Nathan's shoulder, and then left.

Brooke watched him go. "I'm sorry too, Nate. About you and Peyton."

He shrugged. "I'm not. No offense, but I sort of always knew me and Peyton weren't supposed to be."

She laughed, looking down.

Nathan hopped up onto the counter, and Brooke eyed him for a moment.

"Yes?"

"Do you work _at_ _all_, or what?" She teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Look who's talking."

"Shut up."

"I work," Nathan shrugged. "I just haven't thought of the design that's going to make me millions.. yet."

Brooke nodded. "Yet. So there _will_ be a multi-million dollar plan?"

"Of course."

"Huh. Well, at least your spirits are high."

They were silent for a few moments before Nathan finally spoke up. "I'm not - I mean.. am I bugging you and Luke? 'Cause I'm sure I could find a place to-"

"Nathan, don't be ridiculous. You know we love having you here." She smiled warmly, nudging him.

"Thanks, but uh, I think I'm a little too old to be living with my older brother. Besides, I get the feeling you and Lucas need some alone time. You deserve it." Nathan shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Nathan.."

"I'll start looking for apartments. And I'll be out of here before you know it."

"Nathan," Brooke said firmly. "That's not what Lucas and I want. You're here because you're our _family_, and we want to help you through this divorce."

"You've helped enough." He smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

-

Nearly a week had passed, and Lucas sat in his office, looking over some business proposals.

A knock at the door startled him, and he looked up, smiling when he saw his younger brother. "What's up?"

"Look at you," Nathan smirked. "All hard at work."

"Yeah, who would have thought?" His eyes returned back at his paperwork.

"I would have."

The brothers met eye contact again, in a moment so calm and sacred. Their haunted past suddenly flashed through both of their minds, reminding them of how hard it had been to come to his moment; how difficult it had been to begin their brotherhood.

The moment was almost awkward, it was so powerful, and Nathan looked down, clearing his throat. "I uh, just came to tell you that I think I may have found an apartment."

"That's great, Nate."

"Yeah. I mean, it's not for sure or anything, but I really like it. It's my kind of place, you know? The only problem is the money, but I'm pretty sure I can scrounge up enough to take care of it. So, if you're lucky, I could be out of here before Christmas."

"Christmas is in like, five days." Lucas stated with uncertainty.

"I know, but the guy that owns the complex says that we could finalize the deal as early as tonight. I'm going back to the place right now to check it out."

"That's awesome, man." His brother smiled warmly.

"Yeah. Will you tell Brooke for me? She's like, out shopping or something, so I didn't get to tell her." Nathan shrugged, eager to get back to the apartment.

"Of course. Uh, good luck."

"Thanks."

Nathan gave his brother a small wave before leaving the room.

Lucas stared after him, sighing deeply. He felt as if, for some reason unknown to himself, he and his brother were drifting apart. And it wasn't like he hadn't tried to prevent this from happening either. He'd attempted to talk to him, he'd basically stopped talking to Haley altogether (although they hadn't talked much lately, anyway), and he'd even let him stay in his house! Yet, for some reason, they were _less_ close than they'd been since before Nathan moved in. It made no sense to him.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and went back to work.

-

"A celebration?"

She hadn't seen her husband so excited since - actually, she'd never seen her husband so excited. Brooke carefully set her shopping bags onto the ground, smiling softly at Lucas.

She repeated herself. "A celebration? For Nathan?"

"Yeah," He nodded enthusiastically. "Like, to congratulate him about the new apartment."

"Sweetie, the only reason he has a new apartment is because he's divorcing his wife. I really don't think that's going to make him very happy."

Lucas shook his head. "Brooke, you should have seen him. He was _really_ excited about this new place. Come on, it'll be small. Just you, me, and him."

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "_That_ sounds kinky."

He paused for a moment, shocked to hear her answer. It seemed the old Brooke Davis-Scott was definitely returning; slowly, but surely.

"We could get a little cake and maybe a few balloons."

Brooke smiled, taking a few steps towards her husband, and placing herself easily in his arms. "You're a great brother."

He chuckled. "As a husband?"

"You are," She paused, standing on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on his nose. "The _best_ husband."

-

Nathan closed the front door behind him quietly. It was only about eight-thirty, but he still didn't want to bother anyone. Leaning against it after it shut, he squeezed his eyes shut.

When he opened them, he was met with twelve multi-colored balloons, Lucas in an un-tucked button up with black slacks on, and Brooke in a sparkly, tight, bright purple dress that had thin straps and went to her knees.

"Surprise!" They said in unison, dimpled grins matching each others perfectly.

"Uhh.." He stuttered, not entirely sure what he should say. "It's not my birthday."

"We know, but we wanted to congratulate you on your new apartment." Lucas grinned, squeezing Brooke tightly.

"Let me get this straight," Nathan stood, taking a step closer to them. "You're celebrating because I'm moving?"

Lucas didn't seem to get it. "Yeah."

Brooke rolled her eyes, slapping Lucas lightly in the chest. He grimaced. "No, Nathan. We're celebrating because you got this apartment that you really wanted!"

"Oh," Nathan nodded. "Well, I didn't get it."

He took slow, determined steps towards the kitchen, pushing balloons out of his way as he did. Red, yellow, fuck, they'd even gotten ones that said, 'Congratulations on your new place!'.

Brooke and Lucas followed closely behind him.

"Nate, I'm so sorry. We were really convinced you'd get it." Lucas was saying.

He laughed bitterly. "Well, I guess my past doesn't agree. Apparently no one wants to sell an apartment to a young guy that's been in dept since he got married when he was sixteen."

Lucas and Brooke gave each other helpless looks. Neither had the slightest idea of what to say. There was nothing that would comfort him.

Lucas swallowed, taking a step forward and placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Look, man. I know it's hard, but you've just got to take this one day at a time. I know you're hurt. And I know you're not going to believe me when I say this. But eventually, everything's going to be okay. It's going to all work out."

Nathan took a painful breath, looking up at the ceiling. "I don't want to wait for 'eventually', Luke." His voice cracked, and Brooke felt tears spring to her eyes instantly.

The brothers embraced, and Brooke stood behind them awkwardly, suddenly feeling silly in her pretty dress.

When they pulled apart, Nathan looked over at the counter, where a moderately sized (for three people, anyway), beautifully decorated cake sat, the words, 'Congratulations, Nathan!' sprawled almost teasingly across it.

"Damn, you guys got a cake?" He tried to lighten the mood, scratching his head.

Brooke nodded proudly. "I made it myself."

Both men threw her a look.

"_Fine_, but I had it specially made, and that has to count for something."

"Thanks, Brooke," Nathan loosely threw his arms around his sister-in-law, before taking a seat at the counter. "Alright. Let's demolish this thing."

The remaining Scotts grinned, following him towards the counter. Brooke took a seat across from Nathan, and Lucas stood beside her. It was a tender moment between a family..

..One that was suddenly ruined by the loud ringing of a cell phone. Lucas fumbled through his pockets, and when he found it, made a face.

"I'm sorry, guys. It's work."

"Luke," Brooke frowned.

"It's fine," Nathan shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

Lucas smiled apologetically, bringing the phone to his ear and walking away. Brooke stared after him for a moment, clearly annoyed. Rolling her eyes, she turned back towards Nathan, who's gaze was flickering between hers and the cake.

"Nathan," She said slowly, "I just want you to know that I really enjoy your company. And just you being her in general. For what it's worth, I'm glad you're staying."

He grinned at her from across the counter. "That means a lot, Brooke. Really."

Nathan reached for the three plates neatly stacked, waiting to be filled with a hefty chunk of cake, but Brooke stopped him with her hand, holding up two forks.

"I think it's just you and me tonight, Sailor."

He looked over towards the living room, where Lucas was. "..No, let me check the computer, I think maybe.."

He turned back to Brooke. "I think you're right."

The two dipped their forks into the cake, each pulling out a bite-sized drop of chocolate heaven.

"You know," Brooke said, mouth full, "You'd think they'd _want_ to give an apartment to someone who got married young. Shows responsibility."

Nathan shook his head. "Yeah. Real responsible. Car crashes, debt, ragers, more debt, and not to mention divorce."

She made a face. "Huh. Well, you're not divorced yet. Completely."

The darker-haired Scott brother bit his lip. "Actually, I am. I didn't want to sound like more of a brat, but uh, divorce went through today. We talked to lawyers separately, and I said she could have what she wanted, which was the apartment and everything in it. I've got the car. That's it. It's over."

"Nate," Brooke said, lightly touching his arm. "I'm so sorry. It is just not your night, huh?"

"That's not entirely true," Nathan smirked, "I _did_ get cake."

They both laughed, taking another bite of the cake simultaneously.


	19. Blue, Blue Christmas

_**Author's Note: **_You know, I had planned on posting this at Christmas of last year. Yeah. I'm really sorry this took so long because it was pretty much halfway done until now. I'm not betting on getting too many reviewers, but I'm definitely hoping! Hey, it may inspire me to update again. I knowww, I'm totally bribing you. But it's worth it. While I'm at it, I may as well shamelessly plug my new story, An Attempt to Tip The Scales. It's basically a what-if. What would have happened if Dan had gotten joint custody of Lucas. You should, you know, check it out. Hehe. Enjoy.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Nineteen: Blue, Blue Christmas**_

"Brooke, I really," Nathan paused dramatically, shaking his head. "I really don't want to do this."

A gasp left her lips, and she frowned, placing her hands sternly on her hips. "Nathan, you have to."

"Like," He asked, "I have no say?"

"Well, _I_ certainly can't carry it inside!"

He returned his gaze towards the large Christmas tree. Leave it to Brooke to get not only the largest tree, but also the thickest one. And of course, she'd had someone help her load it onto her car, and she'd actually managed to get it _off_ the car, but the biggest conflict was now going to be getting it _inside_ the house.

"But - I - Brooke, it's like twelve feet tall!"

"So?" She shrugged her shoulders. "_You're_ like twelve feet tall."

"Brooke, I _am_ not." It was a childish argument, but there was really nothing else he could think of to say.

She sighed, linking her brother-in-law's arm with her own. "Nate, Sweetie, you know I love you. Really, I do. But seriously, if you _want_ to be on my Christmas list this year, you're going to have to bring the tree in."

"Christmas is tomorrow, and you're Brooke. You've already gotten me my present."

"Damnit," She looked utterly stumped, and she looked the tree over briefly, wondering if maybe she could attempt to lift it in to the house. Returning her gaze to Nathan, she sighed heavily. "Nathan, _pleeaase_."

-

Nathan fell to the ground on his stomach exhaustedly, surprised to find that he could actually sweat during this cold December weather. Tugging his sweatshirt off, he tossed it carelessly to the ground beside him, closing his eyes slowly.

Brooke plucked up his sweatshirt, holding it in her hands as she looked at the tree in glee.

He had somehow managed to lift it into their living room, and it had lost few bristles along the way and was positioned just exactly how Brooke had imagined it.

"You are amazing, Nathan," She said cheerfully. "Do you want to help me decorate?"

"Uh, seeing as I'm still completely out of breath and all that, I think I'll pass." He managed.

"Fine," Brooke pouted. "But will you at least stay with me _while_ I decorate?"

"Brooke, I really don't think I'll be moving at all for the next couple of hours."

"Perfect."

-

".._Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening.. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland_.."

Despite what she seemed to believe, Brooke had a terrible voice. Now, it would be impossible to explain just exactly _how_ bad her voice was, but Nathan was experiencing it first hand.

He groaned loudly, "Hey, Brooke?"

"Yeah?"

"Please. For the sake of every living parasite in this room, stop singing."

"Come on, Nathan!" She rolled her eyes. "It's _Christmas_ music! It's not nearly as annoying when you actually sing." She slyly hinted, grinning her dimpled-smile.

"Yeah, uh, it's not the songs." He hadn't moved an inch in what seemed like forever, but her singing was slowly propelling him to get the courage to lift himself up.

"Okay," She shrugged. "So I'm a _little_ off key-"

"_No_, Brooke. _Lucas_ is a little off key. You're like.. so far _off_ the key, you can't even see it. The key is out of sight for you."

The brunette scoffed, and in seconds, a miniature Santa Clause was sailing through the air, landing hard with a thud on Nathan's back. He winced; yeah, he definitely wouldn't be up for a few more hours.

"_Sleigh bells ring_.."

-

Lucas drove through his neighborhood, smiling softly at all the Christmas lights and decorations each house had put up. Christmas truly was a magical time, despite the terrible music and of course, the weather.

He couldn't help but think of how their life could be different right now. He couldn't help but think of what life would be like if he was a father. Christmas would be an even more special time. Granted, the baby would still be young if it were alive, but even so, knowing Brooke, they'd be going all out.

He knew that Brooke had been thinking about life with the child too. Just the night before, as she had lay in bed thinking he was asleep, he'd heard distinct sniffles and muffled sobs. It had broken his heart, but all he could do was hold her close, and rub her back comfortingly.

He pulled into the driveway of his house, smiling at the lights the gardeners had strung up. They'd done a hell of a job, and he couldn't help but feel that their house looked the best.

Lucas walked towards the door, pushing it open and taking a few steps inside. As he turned the corner, looking straight into the living room, the amusing sight before him made him stop.

Nathan was laying on his stomach, arms flattened out and legs pointing straight backwards, and Brooke was semi-laying near the front of his face, also on her stomach, but with her elbows propelling her body upwards, and with two Christmas ornaments in her hands.

Having heard the sound of the door, both looked towards Lucas, who shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask."

"Luke," Brooke held up the two ornaments, both the same shape, size, and shade of red. "Which one should I put up? There's not enough room for both."

He made a face. "They're the same."

Nathan looked towards his brother, "_Thank you_! I've only been trying to tell her that for the past twenty minutes!" Instantly, he regretted the movement, and he was laying flat on his stomach again.

"No, they aren't," Brooke grumbled, rolling her eyes. "You guys are stupid."

"Oh, good one." Nathan quipped. She held up one of the balls threateningly and he murmured an apology.

"This one's maroon, and this one's crimson."

Lucas sighed, turning towards the door as he heard a key turning in the lock. In seconds, blonde curls and a leather jacket could be seen, and it was obvious who was entering.

"Uh, hi, Peyton. Since when do you have a key?" He frowned.

"Since you first moved in." She waved him off distractedly, walking around him to see both Brooke and Nathan in their same positions.

Awkwardly she said, "Hey Nate."

"Hi Peyt!" He shot up an arm, before quickly lowering it once more. There was not a hint of awkwardness or uneasiness in his voice, and she quickly grew comfortable.

"Hey B. I just came by to drop off your guys' presents. I was out driving and they were in the back seat, so I just thought, why not?"

Lucas nodded. "Good question."

Brooke grinned. "Mine's the biggest one, right?"

"You know, Brooke-" Lucas began, only to be cut off by Brooke herself.

"Yes, I know. Great things come in small packages, or whatever. Whatever. I want a big, fun present." She smiled at her best friend, who offered back a smile.

"Trust me, you'll love this one."

"Oh, I trust you."

Peyton walked towards the tree, placing the messily wrapped presents down by the tree, and then back towards where Lucas was standing.

"Oh, P. Sawyer! Tell me, which one should I put on the tree? There's not enough room for both."

Lucas and Nathan exchanged looks, knowing Peyton's answer would be the same as theirs.

"Uh," Peyton bit her lip. "The maroon one. The crimson doesn't really go with the tree."

"Just what I was thinking." Brooke grinned.

The two Scott brothers frowned, and Lucas looked back towards the tiny balls as Brooke stood up, placing the 'crimson' one on the tree.

"They're both the same!"

-

"Oomph."

Even as the heavy object hit his chest, he did not open an eye; he knew what it was. He tried to pretend he was still sleeping (After all, a few more hours would just be _heaven_), but he knew he'd get no sleeping done.

Opening one eye slowly, it made contact with the sight of Brooke, who's head had been the object to land on his chest. She blinked at him a few times, the grin never leaving her face.

"I'm sleeping." He told her.

"But it's Christmas."

"Doesn't mean I'm not sleeping."

"Doesn't mean I care."

He rolled his eyes. "You can be a pain sometimes, you know that?"

Brooke propped herself up on her own elbows, allowing him the luxury of breathing once more. "Well, I'm allowed to be a pain on Christmas."

He sighed, kissing her forehead. "You're allowed to be a pain whenever you want with me."

-

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, hand in hand, they found Nathan rubbing his neck with one hand, and using his other to aid himself in sipping coffee.

"How are you feeling?" Brooke said with an unsympathetic grin.

"Well," He made a face. "Let's just say if basketball was out of the question _before_, now it shouldn't even be a dream."

"Basketball," Brooke furrowed her eyebrows. "Haven't thought about _that_ in a while."

"Merry Christmas." Lucas offered with a smile, and Brooke nodded.

"Yes, Merry Christmas. Presents!"

"You can tell she's really dedicated to the holiday in itself." The dark haired Scott brother joked.

Brooke made a face, but practically skipped over towards the Christmas tree, where an assortment of presents sat wrapped beneath the tree. Lucas and Nathan exchanged looks, and calmly sat beside her.

"I'll go first!" She volunteered.

"Okay, but please show a little more enthusiasm." Lucas grinned.

"You're funny." As she tore at the fancy wrapping paper, she half-heartedly reached for tag.

"Wait, who's it from?"

"You, obviously."

"Why is that obvious?"

"Because you're the only one that sucks so much at wrapping presents that you actually get them gift wrapped." Nathan chuckled at this, and Lucas shot him a look.

"Well at least I'm not Donna Reed like you."

"Donna Reed was a housewife. It doesn't mean she was good at wrapping presents." Nathan argued.

"Hey, Donna Reed was good at everything!" Brooke said, pulling from the wrapping paper a CD.

"Counting Crows," She read aloud, not even bothering to hide the confused look on her face.

"It's - no, it's," Lucas looked embarrassed now. "The song on there, Rain King - that was the song that was playing on our first date. At that bar, Blue Post."

It took her a moment, but when she looked up at him, she was grinning. "You actually remembered that?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. It took me forever to found out who sung it, but yeah.."

"This is really sweet, Luke." Brooke said seriously. She stood up, throwing her arms around him tightly. They remained like that for several seconds, and Nathan felt the most awkward he had since he'd moved in there.

Lucas didn't even try to hide the pleased look on his face. "You've got another one under there, I think."

"You think?" She laughed. "Well, I'll let someone else open one. Ooh, I know! How about you and Nathan open one up at the same time? Like, the gifts you got each other? Fun!"

"How is that fun?" Nathan laughed, but tossed Lucas the gift he'd purchased for him, and Lucas did the same.

They tore at the paper - Lucas neatly and Nathan more savagely - and when they reached the presents themselves, both burst into laughter. Lucas was holding in his hands a nice, orange, leather basketball and Nathan was holding -- the same thing.

"Are you kidding? Same brand and everything.." Brooke was in stitches.

"I guess we really are brothers," Lucas grinned, throwing an arm around his brother. "How cool."

Nathan simply shook his head. "How weird."

"Okay, me again!" Brooke reached for Lucas' second present, which revealed itself to be a diamond studded necklace. She thanked him with a kiss, and tried it on running her fingers over it absentmindedly for the next few minutes.

Lucas opened his present from Brooke; a watch engraved with his initials. Nathan's present from Brooke was a pair of his favorite sneakers, usually impossible to find but in absolute perfect condition. "How did you know?" He had asked, and she merely smiled.

When Brooke reached Nathan's present, he swallowed hard. He hadn't known what to get her, but he had wanted it to be nice. After all, she had done so much for him this past month that he had no idea how else to repay her; so he'd spent most of that month's salary on a gold bracelet embedded with an emerald situated between two diamonds. When she opened it, her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God, Nathan. It's beautiful. Emeralds are my favorite," She held it up to her face, eyeing the piece of jewelry.

"I don't know how, but I knew that." He said awkwardly.

"This must have cost a fortune."

He shrugged. "It's Christmas."

Brooke looked up and their eyes met. "I have the _nicest_ pair of earrings that would go so well with this. I'll show you. Hold on." And she was up, running up the stairs towards her bedroom.

When she was gone, Lucas smiled, "I'm taking her out to dinner tonight. It's going to be great. Fanciest Italian restaurant in town."

Nathan nodded jealously, "Sounds wonderful."

-

"I feel bad leaving Nathan behind," Brooke said as they were seated at their table at Giorgio Baldi, Tree Hill's nicest restaurant - and one of Brooke's favorites.

"He'll be fine. He's a big boy,"

"Yeah, but it's Christmas. No one should have to be alone on Christmas."

Lucas shook his head. "He won't be alone. We'll be home in a few hours."

"I know, but still.." She sighed, shaking her head.

Brooke looked around and then met his eyes again. "By the way, did I say thank you for this? You are definitely by far the best husband anyone could ever ask for."

"Really? Definitely by far? That's a pretty big honor."

"Any honor given by me is a pretty big honor," She grinned, leaning in to kiss his lips.

-

Nathan flicked through the channels on television. All that was on was Christmas movies: _It's a Wonderful Life_, _Miracle on 34__th__ Street_, _Christmas with the Kranks, _etc.

Just because it was Christmas didn't mean there couldn't be a good thriller on. Not like he could be thrilled right now. He was bored and tired and quite frankly, jealous.

He wanted to take someone out to dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town. Not Brooke, per say, but _someone_. He wanted to be able to _afford_ to take someone out. Right now, he felt like a pathetic loser.

He was probably the only person in the world sitting home watching Christmas movies on Christmas.

-

Peyton was probably the only person in the world sitting home watching Christmas movies on Christmas.

Even her _dad _had had a date tonight with some pretty girl that worked on his boat. When they'd talked on the phone, he'd been brief and excited. And although she was happy for him, she was also slightly jealous. She wished that _she_ had a date tonight. Who spent Christmas alone?

The doorbell rang and she thanked God for Chinese delivery on Christmas. Peyton thinking on an empty stomach was not smart.

She walked towards the door, grabbing the cash off the counter as she went, and when she pulled it open, she wanted to run back inside and hide. It was not the delivery guy, but _Adam_. She could not quite remember if she'd worn makeup that day, but the fact that she couldn't remember made her think not.

"Hi," He smiled.

"Uh, hey."

"I was bored. Saw your light on. Thought you might want to hang out? I've got pizza."

"I've got Chinese coming," She said weakly.

"So we'll call it a party," He shrugged, grinning.

"Yeah, okay."

He stood there for a second before leaning in and kissing her. She opened her mouth, surprised. His mouth was warm and felt nice, and when he pulled away she missed his lips on hers already.

"Mistletoe," He gestured upwards.

Of course.

It hit her then that she liked him.


	20. Explosions off in the Distance

_**Author's Note: **_Yeah! We got to twenty, guys! Only took about three years, but still. Reviews aren't great, but they're still a little better than I expected considering how long I was gone for. Anyway, I made the mistake in the last chapter by calling Peyton's sort-of love interest Adam when his name is Dave. Sorry. I must have been subconsciously thinking of Adam Brody, the love of my life. Heh. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and know that with a New Year comes a whole new batch of drama.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty: Explosions off in the Distance**_

"Finally!" Brooke cheered, looking at her husband and then at Nathan in the backseat, "2012 is over, my friends. But guess what? 2013 is going to rock."

"How can you be so sure?" Nathan didn't take his eyes off of the window, and Lucas and Brooke exchanged a look.

"Because we're going to make it a good year. It's already starting out nicely! I mean, this whole New Years-Reunion party is going to be _so_ much fun." She pulled the invitation out of her pocket, turning it over in her hands.

"I can't believe _Tim_, of all of the people in our senior class, thought of this." Nathan shook his head, chuckling softly.

Lucas nodded. "I wonder if he's still.. You know, still.."

"Stupid?" Brooke finished for him, with a smile.

Nathan laughed from the backseat. "Oh, Tim. I kind of miss him, actually. I haven't seen him since graduation."

"Me either." Lucas chorused.

"Yeah, me either." Brooke agreed.

"I wonder what everyone's like," She said suddenly, after a moment of silence had passed. "Like Bevin and Theresa and that bitch Rachel.."

"Rachel?" Nathan furrowed a brow.

"You know. Red hair, bigger slut than Paris Hilton, came during senior year?"

"Uh, I guess. She sounds familiar."

Brooke shrugged. "I never really knew her well. She tried to steal Lucas a couple times, but that's it."

"I bet people are going to be surprised that we're still together," Lucas told her with a smile.

"Oh yeah, definitely." Nathan agreed.

"What? Why is that so surprising?"

"It's not. To me. It's just that," Lucas shrugged. "I think most people think that couples in high school last until about the first year of college and then drift apart."

"Most couples in high school _don't_ last." The darker-haired Scott brother said.

Brooke sighed. "Do you know if Haley is going to be there?"

"I completely forgot." Nathan's eyes widened. He was _not_ looking forward to an awkward confrontation with her.

Lucas shook his head. "I don't know why she would be. Haley always hated that whole high school crowd. She was happy to get out of there."

"Yeah, so was I, but I'm still going." Brooke pointed out.

Her husband closed his eyes. "Yeah, but it's different. You were really popular in high school. You're going to be visiting all your old friends. Haley would be visiting all the people that she spent four years trying to get away from."

"Good point."

As the road to Charlotte stretched before them, Nathan shifted uncomfortably in the back seat. He really hoped Haley wouldn't be going. After all, it wasn't like she'd had all that many friends in high school. What would be her purpose in seeing Tim or Bevin? Absolutely none. He had actually been friends with all these people. He could remember when they were graduating, all the people that had wanted to sign his yearbook. Haley had huffed jealously, "High school really was the best years of your life." He'd thought nothing of it then, but now it made him feel more secure.

He adjusted the silver-blue tie Brooke had forced him to wear. He wasn't a big of ties, honestly, but she said it made him look prepared for the New Year, so he'd shut up and worn it. Lucas wore a shiny red tie, and judging by the looks of it, he didn't look too happy to be wearing a tie either. Brooke looked beautiful, he had to hand it to her. Her hair was straightened to just below her shoulders, and she was wearing a gold and white dress with strange designs on it that was actually really cool looking.

As if she could feel him looking at her outfit, Brooke suddenly said, "I wish the invitation had told us what we should wear. I mean, what if we show up and everyone else is wearing like, rubber jumpsuits or something?"

Nathan squinted. "Why would that _ever_ happen?"

"It could!" She shot him a look and he grinned.

Lucas laughed as well. "Brooke, it's the year 2013, not the new millennium. Plus, you look beautiful."

"Well duh," She smirked. "I look hot! Look at this dress, man."

Him and Nathan exchanged looks through the rearview mirror. "She's so modest, too."

"Seriously."

"Please. Everyone's going to want to be kissing at midnight and then _I'll_ be laughing."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Well anyone that wants to kiss you is going to have to go through me first."

"My hero," She batted her eyelashes playfully.

This was fun, Nathan realized. He was enjoying being here with his brother and sister-in-law, and he honestly wouldn't have had it any other way. Heaving a content sigh, he looked out the window at the passing trees and signs and hoped that tonight would be another uneventful one that would have him returning home with a smile on his face.

-

"Well, well, if it isn't the Scott's," Tim grinned as he pulled the door open wider, his hair a little shaggier and a hoop earring dangling from his right here.

"Tim," Brooke started, "You're.."

"Gay? Yeah." He laughed, and she leaned in to hug him. He hugged Lucas and Nathan too, both who looked a little tentative after hearing his most recent revelation.

"Nate!" He slapped his former best friend's back. "Have you missed your Tim-Time, dawg?"

Nathan relaxed, realizing this was the same Tim that had followed him around since they'd been kids. "Actually, I kind of have."

"Good. Where's the wife, bro?"

Nathan held up his left hand, which was ring-less. Tim sighed, "Aw, man. I'm sorry. I thought you two were going to be together forever. At least last longer than these guys over here," He gestured towards Lucas and Brooke, who exchanged bemused looks.

"Nope," He shrugged. He had a feeling he was going to be answering the 'oh my God, you aren't with Haley?!' question a lot tonight.

Tim draped an arm around Nathan and then one around Brooke, leading them closer towards the party. "Well guys, I'll be honest. I've missed our good old high school parties. Which is why I decided to throw me a little rager for New Years."

"This was really a great idea, Tim," Brooke nodded. "I mean, New Years _and_ a reunion? How perfect."

"I know, I know."

She giggled. "Everyone's here?"

"Oh, everyone. I'm pretty sure Bevin and Vegas have already hooked up."

"Wow, we really must be back in high school, then." Nathan laughed.

He looked around. Tim had certainly outdone himself. There were people all over the large mansion - formerly Tim's parents', before they had moved into a bigger one and given this one to him - and the decorations were outrageously beautiful. Streamers, banners - you name it, it was there.

"Lucas!" Lucas turned to see Peyton with a guy, and he smiled at the familiar face.

"Peyton, hey," He hugged her. She looked very pretty with her hair in its usual curly state and her strapless silver dress that made her legs look like they went up to her shoulders.

"Where's Brooke?"

"Here!" Brooke threw herself into the arms of her best friend, and then leaned towards her ear, whispering, "Is this Dave?"

Peyton nodded and giggled and Brooke did as well. Nathan, Tim, Lucas, and Dave all stared, confused.

"He's cute. Are you guys dating yet?" She whispered, and Peyton shrugged.

"Not officially, but he spent Christmas night watching movies with me, so--"

"You're dating!" The brunette squealed maybe a little too loudly and Peyton laughed.

"You know, you're reminding me a lot of how you used to be. It makes me really happy to see you like this," Peyton told her.

Brooke smiled. "Me too. I've been feeling so much better lately, Peyton. I don't know why, but it's great."

"It is, and you look gorgeous."

"I know! You're looking exceptionally pretty yourself as well, missy." They knocked hips, and Brooke gave her friend a smile before turning towards her husband.

"Care to scope out the party with me?" She offered him her arm, and he took it gladly.

"I'd love to."

-

It was almost eleven and Brooke was sure she and Lucas had talked to every person there. She was loving it. She loved seeing what people had become after years of not seeing them, and she was surprised at what most of her friends from high school were up to now. Mouth was probably the next Bill Gates, having started up his own internet company that was already making him millions; Bevin was working as an assistant to Tyra Banks; Theresa was a stay-at-home mom to her two children; Skills was working as a basketball coach to underprivileged children with great abilities to play; Erica Marsh had become a Playboy playmate and was _secretly_ one of Hugh's girlfriends; Vegas was working in stocks, and was really quite rich. Everyone had something and she found it so funny how things had turned out.

She and Lucas were still talking about Erica's career when Nathan suddenly appeared beside them, eyes wide and tired at the same time.

"What?" Lucas clamped a hand over his brother's shoulder worriedly.

"Guess who _did_ decide to show up," And then they didn't have to, because it was obvious. Brooke turned to look and sure enough, there was Haley. She wore a powder blue dress and she was talking to Bevin, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Maybe you should talk to her." Lucas said.

Brooke snorted. "Yeah, and say what? You have no right to be here? Because it's not like that's true.."

"Brooke--" Lucas began, but Nathan cut him off with a wave.

"No, Brooke's right. I can't talk to her. Maybe if we're lucky, we can ignore each other the entire night. I mean, there _are_ a lot of people here."

"Yeah, maybe." His brother looked uncertain even as he agreed.

And of course, right at that moment, Haley looked over at them. The second she did, each one of them found themselves looking at something else; the stain in the carpet, a picture on the wall, Rachel's boob job.

"Okay, _awkward_." Brooke said under her breath, and Nathan couldn't have agreed any more.

-

"So, who's up for a game of I Never?"

Tim's request was heard by everyone, but might as well not have been as it went completely ignored.

"Aw, come on you guys! We haven't played this in years! This used to be _our_ game. Tree Hill made it famous. And besides, now that we're all older we'll actually be saying stuff we haven't done instead of trying to just piss other people off by revealing _their_ secrets."

There was some laughter, and eventually the table Tim had prepared with cups and alcohol was seated with a few people. Brooke, Lucas, Nathan, Bevin, Rachel, Theresa, Vegas, and even Haley had sat down to play. Not to mention a few others.

"Okay, I'll start since it was my idea," Tim bit his lip. "I've neverrrr.. I've never been married."

Nearly everyone at the table raised their glass to their lips and there was a collective laughter around the table. Bevin and Vegas were the only ones who hadn't drunken, and Rachel gave them both a small shove saying, "Aw, no love for you two?"

Bevin rolled her eyes, challenge ready. "Well maybe I've never been married, but I've also never been divorced."

Many of the people that had drunken before did now too, and Haley's eyes met with Nathan as they both took gulps of their alcohol.

"I've never made my own million dollars." Nathan threw out, and many of the people at the table took sips again, Haley included.

Brooke sighed. "I've never-- wait.."

"Let me guess," Vegas teased, "wait, yes you have."

"Shut up, Vegas!" She giggled, pushing him. She really did feel like she was at one of those high school parties. Man, she'd forgotten how fun they'd been.

"Okay, I've never made out with someone over fifty.." Rachel and Bevin took sheepish sips as well as Tim.

It was Haley's turn. Never having played this with them in high school, she clearly felt out of place, and she stuttered, "I've - I've never uh, never been out of the US."

Everyone sipped, and Nathan couldn't help but take a little pleasure in her discomfort.

"That was a little lame, Tutor Girl, but we'll allow it," Tim was clearly loyal to his former best friend and he winked at Nathan, who looked down, embarrassed. Haley seemed to notice this gesture too, and her cheeks turned crimson.

Theresa sighed, looking over at her husband in the distance. "I've never married someone and regretted it."

Only a couple of people took sips, and Nathan wondered if his jaw had hit the floor when he saw Haley chug the rest of her drink. When she swallowed her eyes were slightly red because of the alcohol and she smirked.

He shook his head, and took a sip of his own drink as well, walking away.

Tim watched him go and sighed. "I suddenly remember why we stopped playing this. Well, let's call it a game, I guess. It's almost midnight anyway."

Brooke and Lucas exchanged a look and Brooke stood. "I'll go find him."

As she walked off, Tim made a face. "Where's she going? It really is almost midnight. Like, three minutes."

Lucas stared after her and stood as well, walking in the direction she'd gone in.

Rachel Gatina, intrigued, followed him.

-

"O-okay, if I was Nathan, where would I be right now?" Brooke thought for a second. And then: "Alcohol."

As she began walking, someone suddenly yelled, "Fifteen seconds!"

"What?" She shouted. "Oh my God. Lucas, Lucas, Lucas." She was looking around for him in every direction, and before she knew it, the countdown was starting.

"10.…….9.…….8.……"

"You have got to be kidding me," She was weaving through couples readying themselves for a kiss.

And there was Nathan! He didn't even look all that mad. Just lonely.

"7.…..6.……..5.……."

Lucas was standing directly behind Nathan, only about thirty feet behind. She quickly began to scurry in his direction.

"4.……3.….2.….."

She saw a flash of red, and then another woman - Rachel's - arms were laced around her husband's neck, tugging him down for a kiss.

"1.…. Happy New Year!"

She ignored the cheers and echoes around her, feeling rage surge through her blood. And before she knew it, she had grabbed the person nearest to her - Nathan - and had kissed him.

He was taken by surprise but he still managed to kiss back for a few moments, before they both pulled away, eyes wide.

Hell of a way to end the year.


	21. Everything Will be Alright

_**Author's Note: **_You know, I've always thought Lucas was a hard character to write. He's so all over the place, you know? On the show, that is. Anyone that can write him truly in character in well deserves tons of applause, and the ability to write the script for the new season because let's face it, the writers aren't doing too well. Sorry for my little rant, but I was just thinking about it. Heh. A lot of you were either really upset or happy with how the last chapter ended, and let me tell you, you're about to go crazy.

**Movie Script Ending**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Everything Will be Alright**

Nathan stared. Brooke blinked.

"I needed a New Years kiss," She shrugged meekly, as if that were the simple answer to what she'd just done. Her lips were still wet from where he'd kissed her, and she could still feel the warmth of his mouth on hers.

"Lucas was kissing Rachel." She grumbled.

"Bitch Rachel?" He was looking up, assumedly for Rachel and Lucas, but all he saw was Lucas coming their way like a bat out of hell. This is it, Nathan thought, Lucas is going to kick my ass.

Instead, Lucas grabbed for Brooke's arm, apologies sputtering from his mouth before he'd even apologized. "Brooke, Rachel - she kissed me. I know you probably saw, but I swear, I _swear_ I didn't kiss back. It was all her."

She was still in a little bit of shock from Nathan's kiss. God, how could she do that? Of all the people to grab and kiss, Lucas' _brother_? She had to have known Lucas wouldn't kiss the slutty ass bitch back. Oh well. She would simply blame it on all the alcohol.

"I lost sight of you. I mean, I saw you right before she kissed me and then there was a bunch of people jumping. I ran, I mean I literally ran, and it wasn't easy considering all the people--"

"Lucas," She steadied him, holding his shoulders. "It's fine."

"It is?"

"Sure, for a moment, I may have freaked out," She looked at Nathan through the corner of her eye. "But it's okay. I know you would never kiss that ugly bitch. She's just wanted you for years."

He sighed, relieved. "So we're good?"

"We're fine," She leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin against the top of her head.

"So did you kiss anyone out of anger?" He joked with a laugh, and Brooke stared at Nathan, eyes wide. What did she do? Did she just tell the truth? Of course not. She knew Lucas. He would always sense that something was going on with her and Nathan, and he would probably never trust them together alone again.

"Please," She rolled her eyes. "I hung out with Nathan and seethed."

Nathan was still for a moment. And then, when she really feared he was about to tell Lucas, he said, "She did. I was actually kind of scared for a second."

"You know," Lucas nodded, "I believe it. You _can_ be really scary."

Brooke yawned and laughed at the same time, leaning back. "Let's go home, guys. We have a long drive ahead of us, and I think if I see that little bitch Rachel again tonight I could get _really_ scary."

"I don't doubt it. Let's get out of here." Lucas tugged at her hand.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I need to be away from Haley right now."

"I saw that little drinking thing she pulled. It was like, 'okay, real mature, Hales.'" Brooke rolled her eyes and smiled at him, a silent thank you for not ratting her out.

He smiled back and she knew they were okay. Still, she felt strange. Earlier that evening, she would never have thought that her midnight kiss would be Nathan. She had been surprised as well at the fact that he'd kissed back. He'd even gone so far as to lean closer.

God, stop thinking about this! She told herself. It was just making things weirder for her.

They said goodbye to Tim and some of their other friends, and by the time they'd approached the car, Brooke was dead tired. "I'll take the back. I feel like laying down." And she did. She needed to rest, and all that champagne was getting to her head.

She laid herself down and kicked her heels off, trying to squeeze her eyes shut and stop replaying the night's events over and over in her head. All she wanted to do was sleep, to doze off..

God, Haley had been in super bitch mode, hadn't she? Drinking when asked if she regretted her marriage to Nathan. That was just uncalled for. He'd done nothing to her except be a good husband and she repaid him by telling him she basically wished it had never happened? How absolutely rude. Speaking of rude, how nice of Rachel was it to kiss Lucas! As she and Peyton had been saying goodbye, Peyton had told her that Rachel had stalked off after being rejected by Lucas, and was now sitting alone in one of the bathrooms. Peyton herself had some lip gloss smeared around her lips, as had her date. Of course she and Dave had looked adorable and sheepish as she had caught them kissing.

Half-asleep, she allowed herself to zone in on Nathan and Lucas' conversation. Lucas was talking about basketball or something of the sorts, and Nathan was sort of just agreeing. He was clearly thinking about something, and she just wanted to throw her head back and groan. Was he thinking about that stupid kiss, too? Look, she told herself, it was just a New Years little kiss that meant nothing. It's fine, get over it.

So she did.

The rest of the drive home, she listened to Lucas and Nathan's conversation and even managed to sleep for a little while, too. So it was okay. Everything was going to be just fine.

She saw the familiar lights of her neighborhood and sat up, instantly regretting the movement as her head began to spin.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked her.

"I'm fine. Head rush. Sat up too quickly." She stretched, running a hand through her hair, tangled and thick.

The car came to a stop, and Brooke, Lucas, and Nathan all stepped out, and Brooke yawned.

"Man, you used to be the life of the party. It's not even two and you're already tired," Lucas chuckled.

Brooke frowned. "Oh my God, you're right. Usually I'd pull an all-nighter on New Years. Oh well, there's always next year."

"Unless you die before next year," Nathan, always the optimist, offered.

"Man, way to rain on my parade, Nate." She joked softly and he turned to look at her, not quite smiling.

Using her key, they entered the house and Lucas stretched his arms. "I can still smell Rachel on me. I think I'm going to go take a shower."

"At two in the morning?" Brooke said, incredulous.

"Is there some sort of law against taking showers at two in the morning?" He laughed, and she shrugged.

"Enough said. Don't be surprised if I'm already asleep when you get to bed."

"I really won't be," He kissed the top of her forehead and jogged up the stairs, unbuttoning his shirt as he went.

Nathan was about to follow in the direction of his brother, but she grabbed his arm.

"Wait," She said slowly. "We should probably talk."

"Probably," He agreed, and the two of them walked towards the kitchen.

This was awkward, Brooke realized. She could not remember the last time she had felt awkward around Nathan. He'd seen her in the morning with not a drop of makeup on and she still felt okay about it. Since he'd been living here, she realized, they'd grown closer than they'd ever been.

He took a seat at the counter, pulling at his tie until it was in his hands and no longer around his neck. She went towards one of the cupboards, pulling out a packet of hot chocolate and gesturing towards it to see if he'd like one. He nodded wordlessly, and she pulled two cups from the cupboard, setting them down on the kitchen counter.

"Okay, so here goes," As she set the water to boil, she looked over at him, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you. I mean, I was jealous so I just grabbed the person nearest to me, and it just happened to be you, and I'm really sorry."

"It's fine," He shrugged. "I probably would have done the same thing."

"Yeah, but look at this. Now we're uncomfortable around each other. And I don't want to ruin our friendship over something so stupid that meant absolutely nothing."

Nathan swallowed. "You're right. It meant nothing so we should be fine. I guess I just feel weird lying to Lucas.."

"I do too, but--"

"Yeah, we can't tell him. He'd be even more pissed now that we lied."

The water was done. She poured it easily into two mugs, emptying the hot chocolate packets into them as well and handing him one.

He nodded in thanks, and continued. "It's fine. I don't feel weird anymore. I think we just needed to talk about it."

"Yeah?" She said unsurely, and he nodded, assuring her.

"Okay, good. Good, I'm glad." She smiled.

"Well, I think I'm going to go to bed. It's been a long night."

She gasped. "God, I completely forgot about that Haley thing. Are you, I mean, are you okay? I know I probably wouldn't be."

"I'm okay. I mean, she never wanted to get married in the first place, and I knew that, so it's not like I should be surprised."

"I'm sure she just did it because she's angry."

"Yeah," Nathan nodded. "But how unlike Haley would that be?"

And he was off to bed. Brooke watched him go, allowing his words to sink in. He was _right_. Haley didn't do things just to hurt people. At least, the Haley she had known didn't. But who knows now. Everyone had changed so much, the only person she could truly count on to be the person they were in high school was Peyton.

-

Nathan set the glass of hot chocolate on his bedside table, falling backwards onto the bed. He groaned, pressing his hands to his head.

What the hell was wrong with him?

He had been so upset earlier that night because of what Haley had done, and so he'd stalked off. When he'd seen Brooke looking for him, looking all pretty, he'd felt better. And when she'd kissed him, he hadn't even hesitated before kissing her back. Now, _she_ had an excuse, but he didn't.

And even now, hearing her say it had meant nothing was hurting him a little. It _should_ have meant nothing, shouldn't it have? So why had he felt butterflies in his stomach when her hands had grabbed his face, and why could he still feel the warmth of her mouth on his, and why did he _want_ to feel that again?

This was bad, this was terrible. There was no way he could have feelings for Brooke. She was Brooke! Not to mention she was his brother's wife. God, he needed to get out of this place before he let this slip.

It's okay, he told himself. This is fine. It's just a stupid crush because you're supposed to be on the rebound with Haley. You'll get over it in ten minutes. Don't let this ruin anything.

And he wouldn't. It would all be okay.


	22. You Want to Test the Waters

_**Author's Note: **_Eh, so I'm guessing no one liked the chapter as the review level was down by like.. More than fifty percent? Hah. Uh, well, I know a lot of you are worried, but hang in there! I've got like, almost thirty more chapters coming your way, so there's a lot of time for things to happen. Either way, enjoy and **review**! Even if it's bad, I _just_ want to know what everyone's thinking.

----

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Two: You Want to Test the Waters**_

Honestly, Lucas couldn't even remember _why_ they were fighting. All he knew was that it wasn't his fault, and that he was going to defend himself because he had no reason not to.

It had been something stupid, he could remember. Like he'd said something in a rude tone that she had taken to mean he was blowing her off, which had pissed her off royally. He figured she was probably on her period or something, but when he'd suggested that, she had simply exploded.

"God," She was pointing a finger at him. "You are _so_ ridiculous! You can't even take responsibilities for your own actions!"

"I don't even know what I did!" He argued back. "Why don't you just calm down so we can discuss this rationally like adults?"

"Oh, give me a break."

"Um. What?" He was staring at her, completely incredulous. Why did she have to overreact over absolutely nothing? This was no big deal, and she was turning it into World War III.

If looks could kill, Lucas would have been dead the second her glaring hazel eyes landed on his confused blue ones, but fortunately for him, all her scowl left him with was more confusion. Fortunately. Yeah, right.

"Look," He tried again. "I don't even know _why_ we're fighting."

"Of course you don't. You know what, I'm going to take a drive. I need to… clear my head." Grabbing her purse off the counter, Brooke was sure to give him one more death glare before stomping out of the kitchen.

"Brooke, come on. I know you're mad, but--"

"It's fine," She brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "When I'm back, dinner better be ready and _really_ good."

With that, the brunette had turned on her heel, slammed the door, and it was mere seconds before he heard the engine of the car running.

Bracing his hands against the door, Lucas shook his head slowly. Women were _so_ confusing. Especially Brooke. She had probably invented the rules of confusion.

Making his way back over to the kitchen, he nodded a hello to Nathan who was sitting at the counter with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"Don't ever get married," He advised.

The dark-haired man laughed softly. "Someone should have given me that advice a long time ago."

"I don't even know why we're fighting!" He exclaimed so suddenly that Nathan jumped.

His brother returned his nod, silent for a moment before he said, "You said 'I don't care.'"

"What?"

Nathan sighed. "Brooke asked you what you wanted for dinner, and you said you didn't care. In girl world, that's code for 'I don't care about you or anything to do with you.'"

Lucas looked genuinely baffled, squinting his eyes the way he often did. "And exactly how do you know this?"

"Please," His brother snorted. "I'm divorced, remember? I'm practically a master at pissing Haley off. The whole 'you don't care' argument was pretty popular with us."

"Well, it just doesn't make sense. How could saying you don't care about what's for dinner _possibly_ mean you don't care about her?"

"Dude, I don't make the rules, I just know them."

Lucas looked tired as he sat beside his brother, head in his hands. "I hate fighting with her."

"Yeah," Nathan said, because he wasn't quite sure what else to say.

"We don't do it often. I mean, we never used to fight. Ever. Whenever we do fight, it's weird, so whenever we fight over little things it's just even weirder. Like, she's trying to purposely pick a fight or something. I don't know."

"No, I get what you're saying."

"She doesn't like conflict, and neither do I," Lucas was talking more to himself about Brooke than he was to Nathan. Nathan realized this, but he felt the need to simply keep quiet and listen, as if that was what he was expected to do. "I mean, in high school when we were together, the only thing we ever fought about was Peyton, and even then, that was only when she was nervous that there was more between us than friendship."

"Which was kind of justified," Nathan added, and Lucas shot him a look, but was nodding as well. "Oh, and by the way, don't ever blame the fact that she's mad at you on her period. That's the _worst_ mistake you can make."

"God, what was I thinking? Even _I_ knew that."

"Haley slapped me once for that assumption."

"Really?" Both brothers were laughing now, holding their stomachs and with tears streaming down their faces.

"Girls are so weird," Nathan shook his head.

"Aren't they?!"

The brothers allowed themselves to laugh for a while longer before Lucas finally sobered up, looking serious as he said, "Hey Nate, I really want to thank you," at his brother's confused expression, he continued, "you've really made Brooke happier lately. You've been such a good friend to her, especially while I've been off on business and stuff. You've made it less lonely for her, and I really want to thank you. She's getting so much better because of you."

Nathan's eyes were trained on his lap. "It's really not me.." He began but Lucas interrupted, "It is. You're really helping us out, Nate. Just by being here."

"Well, uh, you're welcome, I guess," He chuckled nervously and Lucas patted his brother's shoulder, before standing.

"I'm going to go make a couple calls, but seriously, I mean it, little brother. Thanks."

Nathan swallowed as he watched his brother leave the room. Of course he'd have to thank him on doing something that Nathan felt nothing but guilt for. He'd slowly allowed himself to realize that he liked Brooke, which he _knew_ was wrong. He could simply not control it.

He couldn't understand how he had never liked her in high school. It was weird how compatible they were. They talked with such ease, and she was _so_ funny, and _so _cute with her little dimpled grin. Since their kiss on New Years, he'd been experiencing feelings he just didn't want to feel.

He'd never felt so guilty for liking someone before, and here Lucas was talking about what a great _friend_ he was to Brooke. All he had wanted to do was shake Lucas' shoulders and say, "Hey! I'm not a good friend! I'm a fraud! I like your wife, and I'm sorry!"

The only consolation he could give himself was that he was on the rebound from Haley, and Brooke was just the only girl he could crush on. Crush on. How high school.

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was to be reminded of high school.

-

Brooke bit her lip as she drove through the unfamiliar neighborhood. She felt like _such_ a terrible friend. Years before, she would have known the route to Peyton's house by heart, but since her marriage to Lucas, she'd spent less and less time with Peyton and she'd been to her new house not even a handful of times.

Maybe that would change soon, she blindly hoped.

She pulled into the driveway of the only house that looked familiar to the one she'd visited before, nearly breaking into a run as she stepped out of the car. She needed to talk to a _girl_ about her argument with Lucas. She was tired of being surrounded by only men.

Balling her hands into fists, she pounded at the door feverishly until it was pulled open. Not even bothering to get a good look at her, Brooke threw her arms around her best friend, heaving a relieved sigh.

"Brooke," Peyton said slowly, and Brooke pulled away eyes widening as she took in Peyton's appearance. Her best friend's hair looked almost _brushed_, and she wore dangling earrings as well as a short black dress and heels. Peyton was _clearly_ on a date of some sorts.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Brooke slammed her hand into her forehead. Why hadn't she thought to call? While this would have been normal behavior in high school, Peyton never would have expected her to just show up nowadays. "I should have told you I was coming. I just - I'm going to go."

"Wait, Brooke. You don't have to go, if…" Peyton trailed off uncertainly, and Brooke could tell that she was definitely not wanted.

"Look, it's fine. I'll just call you later," She was practically sprinting to the car when she realized Peyton was following her. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I mean, everything's okay, right?"

"Yeah. Lucas and I got into a fight. It's no big deal. Go," She forced herself to smile. "Enjoy your date and give me details later."

Once she was a safe distance away from Peyton's house, Brooke slammed her hand into her forehead one more time. God, how awkward. Dave had probably been standing behind Peyton worrying - more about Peyton's safety than Brooke, considering he now probably thought Brooke was an absolute lunatic. What kind of person just barged into someone's house unexpected like that?

Brooke was reminded of the time when they'd been in high school when Peyton had done something similar, barging into Brooke's house wanting to talk about Jake. She had _just_ mentioned how happy she was that Brooke was no longer seeing her at the time friends-with-benefits boyfriend, when said boyfriend had walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. Brooke now felt her friend's embarrassment and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Okay, I guess it's time to go home." She said to herself, driving the familiar roads to her own neighborhood.

When she reached her house, all the lights were on, and she sighed contently, enjoying how familiar and friendly her house looked, especially with the Christmas lights still up. It was the kind of house you'd see while driving by and think, 'Wow, I wonder who lives there' or perhaps 'God, I'd like to live in there'.

She stepped out of her car, closing the door and locking it. She walked hesitantly, wondering how exactly she would approach Lucas. Still upset? Because she wasn't really. She was just tired of him either always being gone, or being emotionally unavailable. She knew it was stupid that such a little thing such as what they would eat for dinner had set her off, but there was no going back now.

Turning her key in the lock, she stepped inside, gently pulling off her winter coat.

Lucas was in front of her in seconds. "I didn't know what you'd want so I just ordered from that Chinese place I know you love."

"Thanks." She smiled, leaning forward to place a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry," He said, "for today. I _do_ care about you, I swear."

Brooke couldn't help but chuckle. "I know. I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to freak out. It wasn't even a big deal."

They embraced, and Lucas kissed the top of Brooke's head.

"So, where did you go?" He asked, leading her towards the kitchen.

"Ugh, don't call it karma, but I went to Peyton's and she was on a date and it was _so_ uncomfortable when I just showed up out of the blue."

Lucas winced. "Ouch."

"You're telling me." She laughed.

So everything was okay between them. Even so, later that evening, after they made love, she couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled. Like something was wrong with the situation they were in and how they were handling it, too.


	23. First Day of my Life

_**Author's Note: **_God, you guys are amazing. Honestly. When I read your reviews, it just completely makes my day better. It makes me feel like I _can_ write, you know? Even when I feel like I can't.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling a lottttt of you aren't going to like me very much after this, but I'm hoping you'll stick with me anyway to see how it all ends up.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Three: First Day of my Life**_

There was activity in every direction of the crowded airport. Families wishing each other goodbyes, children returning home from weekend visits to estranged parents, people welcoming loved ones or seeing off friends that had been kind enough to spring for a New Years visit.

Brooke couldn't help but feel like she was the only unhappy person there. Most of the time she loved airports, but not when she was seeing Lucas off for another business trip. Especially not when this business trip was going to be for two weeks. However, her only consolation was that this was Lucas' last trip in a long while. He'd promised her that morning when she'd awoken, asking to take him to the airport.

Lucas tossed his empty cup of Starbucks coffee in the trash can, now looking towards his wife, who had tears shining in her green-hazel eyes.

"Hey," He said softly, tugging her into his arms. Nathan shifted uncomfortably, swinging his car keys in his hands, and taking a seat at one of the gate's many empty chairs. Brooke turned to jelly in Lucas' arms, tears wetting his expensive business suit. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm going to be back soon," he paused, "with presents!"

This only made her cry harder and he sighed, smoothing down her hair, still damp from her shower this morning. "Baby, I'm going to be back before you even know it, okay? And I already told you, after this, I'm done. I'm going to be spending a lot more time at home, I promise."

She stood on the tips of her toes to kiss his lips, and then nose, and then forehead. "I miss you already."

"I'm sure once I'm gone you and Nathan will be throwing a party." He joked with a lazy grin, and she shoved him playfully.

"Well, _now_ we will."

He covered her body with his once more, kissing her hair and locking their fingers. She pulled away, holding his lips in a slow, soft kiss. He leaned close to her ear, whispering something.

Nathan strained his ears to hear, but he could not make out any of their words and he sighed, frustrated. A few weeks ago, he would have allowed the lovers to have this moment in peace, but now all he could feel was jealousy surging through his veins. They were standing so close, and they were so obviously _together_. He couldn't stand it. Even more, he could not stand _himself_ for not standing _it_.

He had resolved that he was a terrible person and an even worse brother, but there was no use dwelling on the fact because it would make it no less true.

He sighed, waiting for the two to part. When they finally did, exchanging one more kiss, he simply waved a goodbye to Lucas, who was gone in a matter of moments, disappearing through the gate and out to the airplane.

Brooke sighed, "I hate saying goodbye."

While he'd normally agree, right now, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He would not feel as guilty about liking Brooke when it was just them, he knew. Since he'd realized his feelings for her, he'd noticed that they were not _so_ terrible when it was just the two of them.

Maybe because he could _then_ pretend that she felt the same way.

-

Brooke was flipping through the stations on the radio, unable to decide on what they should listen to. It was driving Nathan crazy, not only because she could not simply _choose_ something - anything - but also because the top of her head was dangerously close to the bottom of his, and he could smell the fruity shampoo she had used earlier.

When him and Haley had been married, he'd often found himself smelling her bottle of shampoo while he showered. She'd used the same vanilla smelling shampoo since high school, and he'd always loved the way it smelled, even when they were fighting. It fit her personality, and he'd like that about it. The vanilla smell was gentle and soft, just as she'd been once. The smell of Brooke's hair was a sharp contrast to Haley's. It was tangy and more tropical, like maybe guava or watermelon or both!

Nathan sighed, fighting not to close his eyes and lean closer. "Brooke, this is fine."

"Are you kidding?" She said as some rap song began to play through the speakers. "I hate this song."

"Well, can you please decide on something?" He asked, frustrated.

"Fine," She huffed, settling on some station still playing Christmas music. Nathan groaned loudly and she couldn't help but giggle, knowing his hatred towards Christmas music well.

"Come on," Brooke chuckled. "You know this will only be playing for a few more days before it's back to the normal music."

He nodded. "How about _I_ choose the music?"

"How about not?"

He reached for the buttons on the radio he'd put into the old car himself, and Brooke slapped his hands away. He grunted something about it being _his_ car, which should have given _him_ the right to choose what was played, but she simply ignored him, turning the music up louder.

Had he not been crushing on her _severely_, he would have been more annoyed.

When they arrived to the Scott household, Nathan couldn't help but feel like they were a couple returning home from some errand. As they entered Brooke and Lucas' large house, he felt as if he were the husband in the situation, and should say something like, 'Well, what should we have for dinner, honey?' Almost instantly he felt the need to call himself insane, and he rubbed his head as they simultaneously threw themselves down on the living room couches.

"You know, this house seems so empty. Which is weird, considering Lucas is never really around here that much, even when he is."

Nathan nodded in agreement, not knowing what he should say.

"Are you okay? Brooke was looking at him now. "You look a little, I don't know, sick. Like your head hurts. Does your head hurt?" She was semi-babbling and he swallowed the urge to laugh.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired," He said quietly.

"I'm tired too," She said after a moment.

He felt very uncomfortable, and he cursed himself for developing this little crush. Maybe he'd been crushing on her for a while, but when he'd actually forced himself to realize it, he'd made their relationship awkward and strange, even if she had yet to realize it. He could only imagine how their next two weeks would go, and he was not looking forward to it.

-

Nathan shut the door behind him as he entered, pulling off his blue sweatshirt, and then the thermal underneath it so that he was just in his white t-shirt. Stepping out of his sneakers as well, he rubbed his hands together, walking towards the kitchen.

The past two weeks had been surprisingly easy, and not half as awkward as he'd thought they would be. Him and Brooke had fallen into their usual pattern of teasing and banter, and he couldn't help but feel relieved that his feelings for her had not managed to ruin their relationship. _Yet._ He assumed it would only be too long before she finally started to sense what he was feeling for her.

As he entered the kitchen, a strange scent filled his nostrils, and he made a face. There was Brooke, hovering over the stove, stirring something unidentifiable.

"You're lurking," She said after a moment.

"Right. Um, _what_ are you making?"

Giving up, she flicked off the stove, turning to face him. She was wearing an apron.

Oh. _Shit. _

"You're cooking," Nathan said, his eyes meeting hers, silently pleading her to stop.

"Yes. I can cook, remember?" Hands on her hips, Brooke began to stare him down.

"Um, _sure_."

"Oh god, here we go again." She said dramatically.

Nathan chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I'm really curious. Is there a specific reason you chose tonight to.." He trailed off, mentally thinking _poison us all_ to be a reasonable ending to the sentence.

"Well, of course," Tugging an elastic off her wrist, she pulled her hair into a pony-tail, and he noticed that her hair wasn't very thick - whereas Haley's was _very_ thick - and it made her ponytail look exceptionally cute. "Lucas is coming back tonight!"

"God, you're right," He could hardly believe it had been two weeks. For some reason, he felt like he'd been seeing Lucas off at the airport just a few days before. "He _does_ come back tonight."

"Yup. And since our last little dinner for him didn't go _quite_ as planned at all, and he didn't really get to enjoy it, I thought we'd do it again."

Nathan sighed. "I don't know, I mean--"

"Plus," Brooke winked. "Remember how much fun we have when we go grocery shopping together?"

He couldn't help but smile. Since they'd started doing the grocery shopping together, him and Brooke had had many interesting and fun encounters. He really enjoyed shopping with her, and he liked the fact that she had _loathed_ it before doing it with him.

"Well, I guess," But he was smiling, and she knew she had won.

-

"You know," Brooke said, pulling a shopping bag from the car and then another. "I think we bought one of everything."

"Yeah, make that _two_ of everything." Nathan took one look at his car. His backseats were covered in shopping bags, as well as the floor. Not to mention the trunk was full, and Brooke had been holding two bags on her lap.

Nathan hefted several into his arms, watching as she carried two measly bags towards the house.

"Uh, where do you think you're going?" He asked her, eyebrow raised.

"Inside, obviously," She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I don't think so. You're carrying two bags. I'm carrying eight."

"Well, you're bigger than me."

"Well," He began, and then he stopped, looking over at her amused smile. They were bantering like a young, cute married couple. He'd remembered arguing like this with Haley several times. "Well, at the rate we're going with _your_ help, we'll be done by midnight."

She sighed. "Well, _I'll _put everything away then."

"Well, fine."

He followed her into the house, and watched her begin to load things in the refrigerator and various cupboards. He didn't realize he was staring until she stopped to look at him. "Can I help you?"

"N-no," He stuttered. "I was just looking." It was the very time since he'd known about his feelings that he'd said something vaguely flirtatious to her, and he could have sworn he saw her realize it; saw a flicker pass through her eyes. But as soon as he'd seen it, it was gone, and she was asking him to go get more groceries, so he did.

When he returned to the kitchen, Brooke had somehow produced four cookbooks and all of the tools they'd be needing to cook with.

"So, I was thinking we'd start off with a salad, then lobster with a side of baked potatoes and pasta." She was saying as he entered, her head deep in one of her books.

He made a face, saying sarcastically, "Wow, how fancy."

"I know," She scrunched up her nose. "I don't know where my head is at. How about we make soup then, and quiche! Lucas _loves_ quiche." It was true. His brother had a certain fasciations with the texture of quiche itself, and he was willing to try almost any flavor. You could probably make him a cotton candy/chicken flavored quiche and he'd still be willing to try it.

"Brooke, quiche isn't really an easy thing to make, though." He didn't want to rain on her parade, but he'd seen Haley make it at the café once or twice and it was _definitely_ a challenging course.

"That's fine, we've got like, all night! It'll be wonderful. I was thinking spinach and mushrooms. That's his favorite flavor. What do you think?" She was looking towards him expectantly, one hand leaning against the counter and the other on her hip.

He forced a smile. "Good thing we bought _both_ mushrooms and spinach."

-

After three failed quiches, Brooke's final attempt was beginning to look like an _actual_ food, and not a bad one either. She'd mixed the Swiss cheese in just the right amount, and had not tried to experiment _too_ much as she had before.

Nathan was carefully tossing a salad - his second - while watching her put the finishing touches on the pie-like food.

"It looks good," She decided, and he could tell that even if he disagreed, she would still think so. "I mean, damn, I'm good."

"Only took three tries." He couldn't help himself.

She giggled. "I'm going to just ignore that considering how _yummy_ this looks."

"It does look pretty good. Nice work."

The soup they had worked together to make was also looking quite tasty, although not yet finished. Brooke looked at it briefly before placing the quiche back in the oven.

"It needs to stay warm until he's almost home. What time does his flight get in, again?" She made a face, clearly trying to remember the time Lucas had told her almost three times.

"Nine. It's eight-thirty, so he'll be landing soon," He cursed quietly as he cut himself attempting to cut some tomatoes. "He told me he'd be getting a cab back to the house, like he usually does."

"Okay, so I need to start setting the dinner table up, and get dressed too!" She was scurrying around the kitchen like a mad woman. "You know, I'm really excited. I mean, after this, Lucas wouldn't be traveling as much, and everything's going to be great. Plus, look how good all this looks! Even your salad." She nudged him playfully, and he rolled his eyes.

"Ha-ha. You know what, my salad is going to rule your quiche when it comes down to it."

"_Please." _She scoffed.

The kitchen phone rang once, and Brooke turned to look at it. "Great. I don't have _time_ for phone calls."

"Knowing our luck," Nathan agreed, "it's probably your parents or something."

"Oh God, don't joke!" She grinned, but he could see the worry flash through her eyes as she went to answer it. "Hello?" A smile instantly grew on her face, and he had a sinking feeling that it was his brother on the other end.

"Luke!… Wait, what?… I thought - but you said… I know. Yeah, I know… I know it's not your fault. It's fine, really. Not like we had anything special planned or anything. It's okay… Love you too. Bye." She hung the phone up on the receiver slowly, and she didn't even have to turn around. Nathan could see that she had started to cry even from behind.

"Brooke.." He said quietly.

Brooke turned to look at him. "His flight got delayed, so he's not coming in until tomorrow morning. Just like last time."

Eyes burning, Brooke ran towards the oven pulling out the quiche she'd spent hours slaving over. In one swift movement, she'd tossed the pan to the ground, and Nathan winced as he watched it splatter all over the floor.

"I'll - I'll pick this up," Brooke leaned down so she was sitting on the floor, but she only started to cry harder.

Nathan sighed, lowering himself to her level and pulling her into his arms. "It's okay."

She was clutching to him, sobbing into his shirt now. "I know, I know. I'm s-such a baby, b-but I'm so angry! H-he always does this. I always go out of my way to make things s-special for him and then he doesn't show up. It's _always_ been like this,"

He had a feeling she was talking about her relationship with Lucas since the beginning. When at first, he had wanted Peyton and she'd done everything she could to keep him, but his feelings for the curly haired blonde had not faltered. And once they were married and together, she'd needed him to be there when she'd been attacked, and he hadn't been. She had made him dinner and he had not shown up, and when they'd celebrated Nathan's getting-of-an-apartment-that-he-didn't-really-get, she had wanted him to sit and enjoy cake with them, but he'd taken a business call instead.

Maybe it had finally become enough for her.

She pulled away from Nathan, rubbing her eyes still. Nathan smiled. "You know he'd be here if he could be."

She couldn't help but return his smile. "You're always comforting me when I'm sad. Have you noticed that?" He could remember just a couple months ago when they had been at his father's house, when him and Haley had still been married and Brooke had run off to the bathroom crying, and he'd been there to comfort her. Had he thought _then_ that he could feel this _now_?

"I've noticed," He nodded, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. As he did, Brooke turned to look at his eyes, so blue. Complete opposites with her hazel. He felt something inside her bend, and before he knew it, she was dipping her head towards his.

He knew it was wrong, but he could not think of that as his lips met with Brooke's, this kiss so much slower than their last. She wrapped an arm around his neck, tugging at his hair, and he leaned himself into her, his tongue begging entrance to her mouth. As they twined themselves closer together, Brooke slowly began to lift his shirt until it was completely off.

His breathing was heavy, and he could feel himself growing harder by the second. She stood, pulling him towards the bedroom upstairs.

If he would ever regret this night, he did not know, and frankly, he didn't really care either.


	24. But it Felt so Good

_**Author's Note: **_So I got completely mixed responses about the last chapter. I know a lot of people are upset about Nathan and Brooke, and a lot are happy, but let me tell you, it's not over for Brooke and Lucas. Not by a long shot. Either way, I'm having _so_ much fun writing this, and I really hope everyone enjoys. I'm trying to portray this as realistically as I can so I hope you find it to be sufficient.

-

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Four: But it Felt so Good**_

Brooke's eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light of her bedroom. She yawned into her pillow, snuggling closer to the body beside her. As she laced their hands, Brooke pulled the other person's hand closer to her eyes, and they widened. This was certainly not Lucas' hand. Tanner, with better kept nails, and-- Brooke jumped up from the bed, the events of the evening before entering her mind.

"Oh my God," She whispered, rapidly pulling on her robe, and surveying Nathan's sleeping form. Her husband's brother had his arm wrapped around a pillow, the muscles in his biceps showing even though he was not flexing.

She backed away from the bed as if it were evidence, and it was. She had _cheated_ on Lucas. And she no excuses either. She hadn't been drunk or high, although that was not much of an excuse anyway. She'd been completely sober, the only fault Lucas had made was having his plane be delayed - something he could not even control. And here she was, throwing herself into bed with his brother.

It had just felt nice to have someone. Brooke, throughout her entire life, had always had this _need_ for love and comfort. Maybe it was because she never could get it from home. She had used boys and sex in high school to achieve this, and her ultimate theory on what she had wanted was just someone to want her back. She'd had this in Lucas once, but lately he was always gone, and she had felt so wonderful with Nathan _always_ there. He had become her best friend.

And now her lover, she realized. Though she'd not made plans to continue this affair, something inside herself had changed; her theory on love and cheating had altered over the course of one night. She hadn't even known she'd had feelings for Nathan. Still, she was not sure.

Inside, she felt the same way towards him she always had. But thinking about it now, she was not sure _what_ exactly it was she felt. She'd always found him attractive, but had she ever considered more?

Tears filling her eyes, she found herself wondering how she could have done this. After the _pain_ Lucas had caused her in high school, and she was doing something a million times worse. She had _slept_ with his _brother_, and although he had kissed her best friend, this felt shamefully worse.

Nathan began to stir, frowning at the unfamiliar room. It took him just a moment to realize, but once he had, just as she did, he jumped from the bed in his naked glory, eyes falling upon her, standing frozen and afraid.

"Brooke," He managed painfully, hurrying to find his boxers. He slid them on awkwardly, and she found herself falling back onto the bed, her hands over her eyes.

"We're terrible people." She said it so quietly she could have been telling him a secret, and in a way she was, for he did not think either of them would be telling Lucas anytime soon.

"It's okay," He was trying to reason in his head how it could be, but found he could not, so he tried to find an excuse. "Look, you were upset, and we - we just got caught up in the moment. It doesn't mean anything."

She sighed. "It just felt so nice not to be alone, you know? I mean, I know it was wrong but I.." She trailed off, and had not realized she was crying until she felt a tear drop from her chin to her neck, tickling her as it ran down.

"I've never done this before," She admitted, even though he'd already known it, "you know, cheated."

"Me either." Nathan took a seat on the bed, wringing his hands. He knew that if he were to look in the mirror, his back would be scratched and he'd probably have a couple bite marks on his chest and stomach. Last night had certainly been passionate. He looked over at Brooke, who's hair was falling in messy waves around her shoulders. She had a hickey on her neck, and he mentally groaned. They truly had not been thinking.

He found that he wanted to kiss her again, but deciding against it, he simply covered her body with his, holding her in his arms as she cried. "You can't tell him," She looked into his eyes, deep and blue and full of pain and care for her. "Please."

"I won't. I promise." Not able to help himself, he leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. He paused for a moment, expecting the sting of a slap, or for her to angrily pull away. He was surprised when she lifted a hand to cup his face, bringing him closer.

She knew it was wrong. God, it was _so_ wrong. But she could simply not help herself. Nathan was always there. She felt so safe around him. And sure this was bad, but was the alternative any better?

He was slow to tug off her robe, but he did. And she helped him out of his boxers, and before either of them knew it, they were doing what both had once vowed never to do, again and again and again.

She'd felt so much guilt before, but with every kiss, she thought of Lucas less and less. How horrible it was would not leave her head, but somehow, she didn't care.

-

"I feel like," Brooke said, tracing over a faint scar on Nathan's chest that he'd acquired during his car accident years before. "I'm this totally different person than I was yesterday. Like if yesterday morning, I were to see today, I wouldn't recognize myself. This is a mistake, isn't it?"

He had only been listening to her before, but now, forced to answer her question, he felt uncomfortable. He did not want to lie, but at the same time, he _couldn't_ tell her that he regretted this, because he did not. Sure, the guilt was killing him already, and he knew it would only get worse, but right now, for the first time in months, - hell, years even - he found that he was truly content.

"I--" He began, but was cut off by the sound of a car pulling up closely. Very closely. In fact--

He could hear a car door opening and closing, and Lucas' distinct voice thanking someone - a cab driver? - before the footsteps began nearing the house.

The pair jumped up, pulling on their strewn clothes as fast as they could. The front door was opening now, and Brooke did her best to gather the bed sheets up, just as Nathan was pulling on his shirt.

"Go, go, go," She was panicking, her voice a whisper that was nearly a yell. Nathan nodded, pulling the door open and running in the direction of his own room, slamming the door once he entered.

"Brooke, _what_ are you doing?" She asked herself quietly as she quickly tossed the sheets into the dirty laundry hamper. This whole lying, cheating, deceiving thing was new to her, and she honestly wasn't enjoying it much at all.

She could hear Lucas' footsteps coming up the stairs, and she suddenly wanted to cry again. God, he was so unsuspecting. Such a good guy. How could she be such an evil bitch as to do this to him? After everything he'd done for her..

"Hey Pretty Girl," She winced at the familiar nickname, pasting a smile on her face and turning to face him. Her husband had gone a couple days without shaving, and it suited him well. In one hand, he held a bouquet of various flowers, and as she approached him he handed them to her.

He took her in his arms, holding her closely. "I'm so sorry about last night. I saw the kitchen, and I'm _assuming_ that smashed quiche is because of me," She had forgotten to clean up the mess last night, she could now remember. Her and Nathan had not returned from the bedroom. They had stayed upstairs all night. "Look at me," He tugged on her chin, and she barely managed to meet his gaze. "I'm _sorry_. That was the last trip in a while. I feel so guilty that I missed another one of your dinners."

How could _he _feel guilty? She was a walking mistake right here, the weight of something she could have controlled but did not hanging heavily on her shoulders.

"No, no, don't be sorry. Please don't be sorry." She clung to him guiltily, knowing she could never tell him about the affair. Eyes squeezed shut, she pulled away. "Look, I'm a mess. I need to take a shower. That okay?"

He nodded, kissing the top of her head. "I'll just," he paused, "clean up downstairs."

"No!" Brooke was even surprised herself at how loud her voice was. "No, please. I'll do it. After I'm all cleaned up."

"It's fine. It's my fault anyway," He smiled, and was out the door before she could stop him.

God, _what_ had she done?

-

Brooke stood in the shower, scrubbing herself raw.

Her skin was red and some spots were bleeding, and the blood ran from her body down the drain, taking with it her secret.

-

As Brooke entered the kitchen, the first thing she noticed was now well Lucas had cleaned up her mess. All the pots and pans used were now cleaned and drying on the rack by the sink. The floor had been completely mopped, and the flowers Lucas had given her were already in a vase, with water. The second thing she noticed was Nathan and Lucas sitting at the counter talking.

She suddenly felt sick. This had been so wrong. If Lucas had come home just an hour earlier, her marriage would have been ruined. As she watched the two brothers talk, she bit the inside of her cheek hard to keep from saying something she would later regret. She felt like this could come out right now, and she would not be able to control it.

"Finally," Lucas teased as she walked in. "That was the longest shower ever taken."

Brooke managed a smile. "Sorry.."

Her husband shook his head, standing and kissing her cheek. "It's fine. I'm going to go take one too. I always feel gross after getting off of a plane." She waited to hear the sound of the shower turning on before she spoke again to Nathan.

"Last night was a mistake," She said firmly, and he nodded.

"This is too weird. We can't do this to him." Nathan agreed, although something in his heart was disagreeing.

"Look, let's just chalk it up to a bad night.."

"And morning." He added, and he wasn't sure if he met it to be humorous, but neither of them laughed.

She looked tired, as if all this had just made her life a million times worse. And maybe it had. "Lucas never has to know."

-

Later that night, when Lucas nuzzled Brooke's neck, letting her know what he wanted, she was eager to comply, wanting to give him more than she'd managed to given Nathan last night and this morning. Still, she felt dirty and sick and gross and like she had ruined everything.

She would not show this though, as she kissed Lucas and undid his shirt, and allowed him to slip off her own clothes.

As the two made love though, she could not help but compare Lucas and Nathan. Now that she'd bedded both Scott brothers - which made her feel like even more of a whore - she could compare the way they were. Nathan was much more confident. He was certainly more muscular than his brother and knew what he was doing down to an art. Lucas was much more tender, trying to cater to her instead of focusing on himself.

As they rolled between the sheets, Brooke's mind flickered back and forth of how earlier, she had done just the same with Nathan. She wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment, but it certainly wasn't good.

She kissed Lucas and tried to make it all go away but she knew it never would.

-

The fact that she'd already ruined everything is what made her appear in Nathan's bedroom the next morning, after Lucas had gone to the gym. She told herself that nothing would ever be okay, and besides, at least she wouldn't have to keep this secret to herself. She had someone to share it with.

When Nathan protested, she kissed him. He could not stop himself from kissing back. He tried, but somehow his body failed his mind and pulled her closer, enjoying the softness of her lips and the taste of her mouth, always sweet.

And after they were finished, and Brooke laid in his arms, she said quietly, so that he had to strain his ears to hear and almost thought he'd imagined it, "I don't want to stop this."

"Lucas.." He trailed off, not knowing quite what to say. "I don't want to hurt him."

"So do you want to stop?"

He thought for a second. "No. No, I don't."

They were silent, and she sat up for a moment, her eyes staring straight into his as the truth came out. "I love him. I really do."

Nathan nodded. "I know you do."

So he could not understand why neither of them wanted to stop.


	25. Tell Me Sweet Little Lies

_**Author's Note: **_Well, I can definitely say the responses are mixed for this story. I mean, _mixed_. A lot of people kind of want me dead, but a lot of you are sticking with the story, even though you don't exactly agree with what's going on. I want to thank all those people, because seriously, what I have planned out is mind-blowing. Well, at least I think so. Anyway, keep up the reviews. Whether you hate it or love it, or whatever, I want to know. It helps me write and I like to know what's going on. Enjoy.

_**-**_

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Five: Tell Me Sweet Little Lies**_

A month had passed since the start of their torrid affair, and now the leaves were beginning to grow back on trees, and it was almost mid-February. Valentines Day had gone and went, and the next holiday children had to look forward to was Saint Patrick's Day, just weeks away.

Brooke closed her eyes as she felt Lucas stir beside her, pretending to be asleep. She could always somehow feel when Lucas was awake, even if she had her back turned to him, she just always _knew_. It was strange. Now, she could definitely tell he was awake, and she pretended that she was just stirring.

"Hey," He said warmly, and she smiled uncomfortably. For the past month, she and Lucas had begun to drift farther and farther apart, and she had to admit that it was mostly her fault. She knew that she was acting distant, but for some reason, she just didn't have enough energy to make an effort not to be.

"Hi."

She wasn't sure if Lucas could sense their distance, but if he _couldn't_, then she couldn't really see why it would make sense for them to be together anyway. Either way, her love for him had yet to falter. Nathan just made her less lonely.

Nathan. The elephant in the room. Or so she supposed. They'd continued their affair illicitly for the whole month, and now she could hardly feel guilty for it. Sure, she knew it was wrong. It just felt so natural now.

Lucas still knew nothing, and what killed her most was this very fact. That he assumed they were all living happily under this roof together. That Nathan was just his brother, and Brooke was just his wife. That there was no sneaking around.

It was kind of funny, when Brooke thought about it. When December had come, she'd been happier than she'd been in a long time, and starting this affair with Nathan, although supposed to fulfill her, had nearly brought her back to her previous depression. This was just not right. It was not how it should be. But she was addicted, it seemed. And nothing could go back to how it was before, so why even bother to try?

Lucas reached a hand out to stroke her face, and she smiled softly, mentally cringing. Nathan had done something similar to this yesterday, and the fact that they were brothers made her feel sick to her stomach.

"We better get up," Brooke said softly. "You know what today is."

"Oh, right." He had forgotten. She however, had not. It had been all she could think about. She had dreaded this day for weeks.

She couldn't help this. She knew that in reality, this very thought was a lie, but still, she told herself that this was the way it was, and there was no use in changing it. Whatever she felt for Nathan was returned, and sure, she was hurting Lucas behind his back, but even worse, she was hurting herself to her face! Maybe this was not a smart move, and she wasn't sure how it had happened, but there was no going back now. She would always tell herself this.

With a sigh, she proceeded to sit up, pulling on her nightgown. She could feel Lucas' eyes on her back and shoulders, the cream-colored skin so silky and smooth he wanted to touch it.

"Hey, it's early," She heard his voice from behind her, soft and begging. "Why don't we stay in bed a little while longer?"

She forced a smile, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "We can't. I have to get breakfast ready. Nathan's got a lot to do today."

He was disappointed, she knew, but so was she.

-

Nathan grabbed the last box from the room, eyeing what had been his home for months now. It was strange to imagine that this had been his bedroom for so long. It was just a guest room, and that much was obvious. He had done little to personalize it, and he was sure he wouldn't miss it much.

He made his way slowly down the stairs towards the front door, where his car was being loaded up with the rest of his stuff. Brooke was in the kitchen; he could hear her shuffling around. Lucas was outside by the car, helping organize his stuff.

Nathan avoided eye contact with his brother as he slid the box in his arms into the seat beside him, firmly closing the passenger door. He looked up towards the front entrance of the Scott household, where Brooke now stood, arms crossed over her chest. She wore just a nightgown - one he'd told her once was his favorite - and Ugg boots, her small feet warmed while he could tell her heart was slowly turning to ice.

Lucas reached over to pull his brother into a hug, and Nathan felt himself relax in his brother's arms. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that he did love his brother. His relationship with Brooke had nothing to do with Lucas, and he'd convinced himself of this. He just found it so sad that after all these years, Lucas thought of him as a changed man, and here he was, ruining the guy's life behind his back. He hated himself, but he would not let even himself fully grasp this realization.

"I'm gonna miss you." His brother said, and though he was sure he would, Nathan couldn't help but think that Lucas was happy to finally be alone with Brooke again.

When he pulled away, Nathan walked slowly towards Brooke, opening his arms tentatively for her to walk into. She took a second, tears flashing in her eyes. When she did finally hug him, it was with all her force. She inhaled the scent of him, a combination of deodorant and Nathan's natural scent, which she had always found alluring.

She stood on the tips of her toes, wishing so badly that she could kiss him but knowing that Lucas was a few feet away and would notice.

"I wish you wouldn't go." She said to him, innocently as it could be said but meaning something so not innocent at all.

"I have to go." He argued silently, allowing himself to smell her hair for just a moment before pulling away.

"I'll miss you guys." He said to the both of them, but he was staring at Brooke and Brooke only.

Brooke nodded, a tear now running down her cheek. Lucas put an arm around his wife, and though Nathan could see her visibly tense, she allowed herself to relax into him, eyes trained upon him getting into his car.

Nathan revved up the engine, taking one last look at the large house he'd grown to know as home, before backing out of the driveway and taking the streets towards the apartment he'd purchased.

Honestly, it had been time to get out of there. This would be better. He needed to not see Brooke so much, and he needed to not see Lucas ever, really. He couldn't stand the guilt he felt, and living on his own would give him a chance to a normal life, and maybe a normal relationship with his brother and sister-in-law.

When he'd told Brooke he would be getting an apartment, she had looked betrayed, like he was ending things with her. And maybe he was. Maybe this would be the end of them. They wouldn't have sex anymore, they wouldn't kiss, they would just be co-existing with a secret that was eating them both up. Though that didn't really seem fair to him, he couldn't help but think of Lucas and think that _that_ was what really wasn't fair.

-

Brooke and Lucas stood together, watching the car until Nathan had turned a curve and was out of sight. As they filed back into their house, Brooke felt how empty it was and she shivered.

When her husband looked down in alarm, she pretended she had shivered because of the cold.

The days would go by much slower now, she realized. And though she told herself everything would be fine, she could not help but believe that this was just another lie.


	26. I Lost Myself Inside Someone Else

_**Author's Note: **_I really want to thank **Tamarindo **for the review she left me. Honestly, it made feel like _someone_ was truly getting what I was trying to show in this story, and I'm really thankful that I received your review. Everyone's waiting for the big twist, but it's going to be a while, folks. Keep in mind we have around twenty-five to twenty-seven chapters or so left. There will be lots of bumps in the road, lots of twists and surprises, and I'm really hoping everyone will like where it ends.

PS: This chapter adds a bit of insight to all you confused Brooke lovers.

-

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Six: I Lost Myself Inside Someone Else**_

It took Peyton a second to fully gain consciousness and to allow the cloudy images of her Edward Norton-centered dream to slip away regretfully. As she looked around her bedroom, so unlike her bedroom in high school with its pale blue walls and her closet big enough to fit just clothes and shoes, she felt a wave of loneliness pass over her. While usually she would awake in the arms of a certain dark-haired neighbor, today she found herself alone in her bed, with just a thin sheet draped over her frame.

She sat up slowly, running a hand through her heavily disheveled head of curls, looking around for signs of male life. No clothes on the floor, no sound of water from the shower - it seemed he was gone.

The red note on her bedside table caught her eye only once she'd swung her legs off the bed and was preparing herself to stand. Curious, she raised the note to her face.

_Go to the kitchen_, it read. She recognized the large, sloppy handwriting instantly and found a smile growing over her features involuntarily, replacing the look of confusion that had taken its place moments before.

Feeling slightly self-conscious because she was wearing nothing, Peyton pulled her boyfriend's - _hey_, she had a _boyfriend! _- much larger shirt over her head and then tugged on a pair of her own boy shorts, padding slowly down the stairs towards her kitchen.

Just months ago, this house had seemed too large and empty to live in by herself, but now she found that she loved it. She loved the colors of the rooms and the many large windows and the garden she had planted all on her own. Of course, she mused, months ago she had also not had Dave.

She rounded the corner to her kitchen, grinning instantly at the site of her boyfriend, wearing just boxers, standing over a pan of cooking pancakes.

"All this for _me_?" She teased, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She liked the way he felt against her. Their bodies seemed to fit. To mold into one.

"Well," He said warmly, "I thought I'd have more time before you woke up to make you a full-on breakfast."

She surveyed the area. He'd made eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, a bowl of fruits, waffles, and two different kind of pancakes in addition to the ones that were still cooking. "Okay, and what do you call this?"

He turned around to face her, wrapping his arms around her shorter frame and pressing his lips to her forehead. "Good morning, beautiful."

"What an interesting name," She joked, pecking him on the lips quickly before turning once more towards the meal he'd made her. "I can't believe this. No guy has ever made me breakfast before, you know."

"Good to know. I'm happy to be the first." He was grinning his lopsided, boyish grin and she felt her stomach do flip-flops. Leave it to Peyton Sawyer to still feel that feeling after a few months of dating.

"Flowers too!" She cooed, looking over the bouquet of flowers he'd put into a vase for her, sitting beside her already made-up placemat. She felt so warm inside. Never before had she been in such a stable relationship. There was no drama with Dave, and he absolutely treated her like she was everything to him. On the days that he didn't stay over, she was over at his place. Rarely did they spend time apart. For her, this was all knew. She had never before been in a serious, out of high school relationship. There was no love triangles, no babies, no drama. She loved it.

As he finished off the last batch of pancakes, Dave began to make a plate of food for himself. Peyton watched him as he carefully loaded fruits onto his plate, and then some bacon and some chocolate chip pancakes. He looked handsome and rugged, with his hair up on all ends and his eyes still tired from sleep. She wanted to kiss him, but at the same time, the food was so good that she could not bring herself to stop eating it.

He took a seat across from her, pouring them both a cup of coffee. Her fingers curled around the mug and she smiled fondly at her boyfriend.

"What?"

"This was just really sweet of you to do." She gestured towards the table in front of them.

"Ah, it was no big deal. You deserve it." He shrugged as if it truly wasn't a big deal.

Peyton laughed. "How? All I do is sit on my ass all day and sell clothes online." She was referring to her profession, which had made her quite successful and yet required not much of her at all.

He leaned across the table to kiss her, and when she deepened the kiss by pulling him closer, he pulled away. "That's how," he whispered, breathless.

"You don't have work today do you?" Peyton asked, frowning when her boyfriend nodded. He worked for an advertising company, Monday through Friday. He had to wear nice clothes to work too, which she always found bothersome.

"It's okay. I told them I'd be in late because I had to take care of my sick girlfriend."

"Your sick girlfriend, huh?" Peyton took a bite of a peach, her smirk both amused and seductive at the same time.

"Uh-huh," David told her, standing so that he was on the other side of the table, right beside her. Easily, he lifted her out of the seat, onto the counter, knocking over plates of food he'd spent hours making. "You should see her. It's a mess."

"Oh, poor girl." She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, covering his mouth with hers.

"I hope _I_ don't catch anything.." He murmured into her mouth.

She giggled. "Aw, and then you'd _have_ to miss work. What a shame."

Peyton was falling hard, and she was loving it.

-

Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, and she told herself that the reason they were shaking because the bus ride was so bumpy. She felt so small all of a sudden, and maybe she _had_ lost a bit of weight these past months. Truth is, she'd been stressed since the moment her and Nathan first kissed.

Brooke sat higher in her seat, staring out the window of the large, interestingly smelling bus. She wore a red wool hat, pulled stylishly back over her hair, leaving her long bangs to fall in her face. She also wore a flowered dress that fell just below her knees, probably much more for summer than the end of winter. Over this, she wore a black coat.

All she could do as she sat was wonder how she could possibly be doing this. She hadn't seen Nathan in weeks, and all he'd had to do was call and ask her to come to this place, and here she was, taking the bus.

What was she doing here? Why was she doing this? God, this was so insane. This was _not_ her. She was not this person that cheated on their husband. She _hated_ cheaters. There was no way she _was _one. After what Lucas and Peyton had done to her in high school, she had felt so low. So terrible. Her heart had shattered into millions of pieces, and not only had she lost her boyfriend, but she'd also lost her best friend. This, well, this was much worse. Nathan was Lucas' _brother_. This was so wrong.

She had always scoffed at women in books or movies that cheated on their _wonderful_ husbands with other men. In fact, she had actually rolled her eyes at the thought of _Unfaithful_. Richard Gere may - or may not have - shoved a gerbil up his ass, but that didn't mean he deserved to have his wife cheat on him with some Italian guy. Honestly, she had just never understood what the appeal of cheating was. The deceit, the pain it caused -- what good came of it? If you didn't want to be with someone, end it. But what if you _did_ wanted to be with someone, you just wanted to be with someone else too?

As she thought of her former self, and then her husband, probably at work right now, Brooke began to weep. Using her hand to stifle her cries, she could feel the cool band of her wedding ring against her lips, and she pulled it away from her face, staring at it as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world. As if this tiny piece of history meant everything. And it did. Or at least, it symbolized everything.

Everything she should have been standing for.

She didn't know why she couldn't just _stop_ this. Maybe it was because her and Lucas were slowly growing farther and farther apart, and really, it had nothing to do with the affair. It had to do with them. Him always needing to do business and her always needing him.

She couldn't need someone who didn't need them back anymore. It was too hard. Nathan needed _her_. She could feel it in the urgency in his touch and the way he looked at her as if she were saving him. She _liked_ that they were both unstable. She liked knowing that Nathan would not be okay without her. Maybe that made her sick, but in a way, it felt like she was just human.

This was a mistake. This entire thing had been a mistake. But she would not stop until she felt needed by Lucas. And by the time _that_ happened, it would be too late.

Wiping her eyes, she realized that the bus was coming to a stop at the street she had been told to get off on. Nathan hadn't wanted her to meet him at his apartment, but here instead. It was nice, friendly-looking neighborhood, with small houses with nice little green gardens. The bus stopped at its stop, and she slowly stood, shaking even as she exited.

She looked up at the houses. The one she'd be meeting Nathan in was abandoned, and she could instantly pick it out from the others. It was cute, but one of the windows was smashed in, and the grass wasn't as green as the others.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," She said to herself out loud. "This isn't right." As if hearing it would make it more true.

Brooke cleared her throat, taking hesitant steps towards the house. She could remember visiting this area as a child. Her and Peyton had entered upon a dare from Nathan, convinced ghosts lurked around the small house. Instead, they'd found old couches and the hint of a life left behind. They had held hands and screamed when they'd opened a closet and an old ironing board had fallen between them. Nathan had stood outside with the other guys, chuckling.

She looked around the neighborhood quickly before pushing open the front door. The house smelled just as she remembered it, and the scent was comforting. She wanted to go back to being a nine-year old girl with Peyton, entering this house expecting to see Casper.

"Brooke," Nathan appeared suddenly, looking just as unsure as she felt. The house was dark, the only light illuminating the room coming from the few windows draped with sorry excuses for curtains. There were two couches in the room Nathan was emerging from, and on the floor before them, a small picnic. He'd packed pasta and salad and wine glasses sat beside a bottle of Merlot.

Brooke approached him slowly. "I don't know why I came," She blurted out. "This - what we're.."

He nodded uneasily, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sorry. I mean, I know it's wrong. I do, I really do. But we're.. I guess I just need you."

She squeezed her eyes shut. He _needed_ her. God, this was what she'd wanted to hear from Lucas for years. She wanted to feel like he would collapse if she left him. But she felt none of this. And as she looked over at Nathan, she did. Biting her lip, she approached him, pulling him down for a hug.

Nathan held her close, pulling off her hat slowly and tossing it towards the ground. She pulled away from him, using her fingers to graze his cheeks, now growing a bit more of a beard than the last time she'd seen him. She tugged his face towards hers until their lips met.

They undressed quickly but had no time to eat their lunch, preoccupied with their adultery.


	27. Haven't Thought of you Lately At All

_**Author's Note: **_To those of you that reviewed last chapter, thank you so much. Everyone has been leaving long, in depth reviews and they are just making me want to write, write, write. **Katie**, I love you! Hehe. Anyway, enjoy this. We get a glimpse of someone we haven't seen in a while.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Haven't Thought of You Lately At All**_

His head was bent in concentration, his eyes focused on the sketch before him, Nathan didn't hear the door of his apartment open. His eyes did not leave the rough drawing of the apartment complex he was going to pitch to the board of directors of the Hill Group, a large company that owned many developments and spaces. If he could _just_ get them to accept this proposal, he would be making millions. Tree Hill was rapidly becoming a large community, and for what he had planned for this building, the Hill Group would _need_ this building. He hadn't taken years of schooling in architecture for nothing. He knew this was a good plan, and he knew he was good at what he did. The only thing was that many companies didn't exactly see him as a catch, seeing as how he'd never really gone to a truly accredited university.

Either way, he'd never been more excited for a project. And sure, maybe he was going out on a limb to do this. After all, he had no idea that it would be accepted, and here he was spending tons of money. But it didn't matter. He had a feeling that this would work. It was a great plan.

He heard someone clearing their throat behind him, and he snapped his head up, tearing his eyes away from the drawing despite his instincts. His fire could burn out at any point, and he really couldn't afford to stop.

When his eyes landed on the person standing just inside his small apartment, they widened sufficiently.

"Haley," He said hollowly, looking over his ex-wife, wishing she looked worse than she did. Her hair was lighter, he noticed. She had colored it. It was shorter too, now reaching just below her shoulders. In her arms she held a closed box.

"Hi," Haley said unsurely. "Uh, sorry to just come in. I knocked, but you didn't answer.."

"Right. Sorry. I didn't hear it. I guess I was concentrating really hard." He wanted to beat himself for sounding so damn stupid. He was concentrating really hard? This was so awkward, so strange. He had not seen Haley since New Years, and then he'd been really upset with her for drinking during that final game of I Never.

"Well, the door was open, so," She said lamely, and then she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I just came by to drop some of your stuff off. This box has been sitting at the apartment for months, and I'd heard you lived here now, so I thought I'd bring this over."

"Oh, thanks." He stood, suddenly feeling kind of stupid in his old gym shorts and wife-beater with his hair gel-free. Haley had seen him like this millions of times, so he didn't know why he felt like it was the first.

"This is nice." She bit her lip, rolling her eyes at her own comment.

"I guess. It's small."

"Not much smaller than our - I mean, _my_ - place." They both caught the slip and it hung in the air awkwardly, the tension having grown so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Yeah well," Nathan cleared his throat. "What's in this anyway?" He gestured towards the box.

Haley shrugged. "Uh, some clothes, a couple of your old trophies, CD's, just things like that."

"Oh okay."

"I'll just.." She gestured towards the table in his living room/study/dining room, walking slowly towards it and placing the large box down in the center. Her eyes were lingering on something, Nathan noticed, but it took him a moment to find what exactly she was looking at.

On the couch, directly in front of the table where Haley had just placed the box of his things was a leopard bra that belonged to Brooke. Earlier that week, when he'd finally allowed her to come over to his apartment, they had been throwing clothes around all over the place, and the bra had landed on the couch and never left.

Haley turned slowly to look at him, wiping her hands on her jeans, as if the box she'd just hold had held some disease, or maybe ten pounds of dust. "So.." She began.

"Thanks," He interrupted her, hoping she would not dwell on the subject of Brooke's bra. "For bringing the stuff over."

"Uh-huh," She nodded, and for a moment he was sure she would drop it, when she said, "So, have you been seeing anyone?"

His eyes flickered over to the bra once again. God, this was strange. Haley didn't know it was Brooke's, but what if she did? What if he let her in on this little secret of his that was eating away at his insides so badly that he was sure he was going to die soon? What if this would turn into some cheesy porno where Haley would ask to join in with him and Brooke, and then Lucas found out and wanted in too? He wanted to throw up at the thought of the second one, but then figured it would be better than his _actual_ life. Anything would be better than his actual life.

"On and off," He tried to say casually, and when that did not seem like explanation enough, he said, "Nothing official. You?"

Haley was staring at him now, hurt evident in her eyes. She hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "Nothing official." She parroted.

She had no right to be hurt. After what she'd said at Tim's party, she had no right to be jealous or to be upset with him for moving on. He wanted to tell her this, but instead Nathan nodded. "Well, I should probably get back to.."

"Right, right," She was at the door in a flash, and she turned slowly to look at him. "Well, it was nice seeing you."

"Yeah."

As she closed the door behind her, Nathan blinked, looking back over at the bra on the couch, strewn so carelessly.

God, him and Brooke were getting far too sloppy. What if that had been _Lucas_ and not Haley? He would have probably recognized the bra as Brooke's. Or if he didn't, he would certainly question Nathan on who it belonged to. And what would Nathan do? Lie? It was hard enough not to _tell_ Lucas, but directly lying to his face? Could he do that?

He would probably have to at some point, he realized. Lie, that is.

Nathan was sick of this. He was sick of all the lying. He was sick of hurting Lucas. Maybe Lucas didn't know what he was doing to him, but Nathan knew, and that was enough. This guy had been a brother to him since he was sixteen, and _this_ was how he was repaying him? It was just ridiculous. Lucas deserved better. He deserved _so_ much better. But every time Nathan told himself that _today_ was the day he would finally end it with Brooke, stop it once and for all, he always found that he couldn't. She would kiss him and he'd forget the entire reason he had called her over.

He just wasn't sure if his heart could take all this lying anymore.

It was going to be the death of him.

With a heavy sigh, Nathan looked back over at the design for his apartment building. He had lost inspiration of course. And that had been the _one_ thing keeping his mind off of this whole situation.

He groaned and then punched air with his fists, wishing that it was himself he was hitting. Wishing that he was air.

-

It took everything in Haley's power not to run down the stairs of Nathan's apartment building. She knew that if she did, she would most likely end up tripping. Once she hit the ground, she'd be a sobbing mess.

Did she have a right to be jealous that Nathan was seeing someone? No, of course not. She had treated him terribly at Tim's party, and she was aware. She didn't know why she had done it, but she had and there was no going back.

She didn't know if she loved Nathan anymore. When she'd seen him today, she hadn't felt what she had for him months ago. That anger had disappeared and that ache and longing for him had gone with it. Now she felt just a pang of jealousy when she thought of that bra on his couch.

Leopard. God, _who_ wore leopard bras?

The only person she knew that even owned one was Brooke, and -- her eyes widened as she looked up from her car windshield towards Nathan's apartment.

There was no way that that had been Brooke's bra, right?

Well, it would certainly be convenient. Nathan moves in with Brooke and Lucas, and Nathan and Brooke have an attraction, and -- no, no, no. That would never happen. There were tons of girls that owned bras probably exactly like the one Brooke owned. And she hadn't even gotten a close enough look at it to see if it was even the same exactly texture or pattern.

She shook her head and started the engine of the used car she had been forced to purchase just a month before, when Nathan had gotten their car in the divorce settlement.

"You're just being crazy." She told herself, not looking back at the apartment building as she drove off.


	28. The Other Son

_**Author's Note: **_A lot of people have stopped reviewing. I'm beginning to worry. Hehe. Just let me know if you're still around, guys. I know a lot of people hate what's going on, but I hope you'll stick around for a while longer.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Other Son**_

The bell over the café door jingled quietly, a warning to Karen Roe that she had a visitor. Eyes still focused on the bill before her, she was hoping one of the waitresses would get the hint and take the order for her. It was only when she heard the customer clear his throat that she forced herself to look up. When she did, she felt a smile involuntarily grow over her aging features, and she ran around the counter to greet this certain customer with a hug.

Nathan's arms slid easily around her much shorter frame, and he hugged her close. "Hi Karen."

"Nathan," She spoke warmly, "what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to visit sooner, but uh, I had to come when I knew Haley wouldn't be working, and well.." He trailed off, but she finished his thought for him.

"Today's her birthday." She nodded, looking around for a moment, as if this were more proof that her partner was absent today.

"Exactly." Nathan stated uneasily. "Look, I know it must be weird for you. I mean, since we've split up. You've had to uh, choose sides, I guess."

"I haven't chosen a side, Nathan. I've known Haley almost her entire life, and she's like a daughter to me. But you are my son's brother, so you're like a son to me." Karen told him wistfully.

He nodded. "It's just, I figured because I hadn't come in as much lately, maybe you'd-"

"Nothing will change the way I feel about you, Nathan. You are my son." As she said the words, he felt like she was more his mother than even his own mother was. A warmth filled his heart that he could not explain.

Feeling slightly more confident, Nathan stood up straighter. "So, how about breakfast? On me?"

"On me." She corrected, gesturing towards the breakfast bar. Nathan took a seat, and she settled into the chair beside his, resting her chin on her hand.

"How are you?" They asked each other at the same time, and then both laughed. Nathan gestured towards her, signifying that she should go first.

"I'm good. Nothing really exciting has been happening the past couple of years. I've been.."

"Seeing Keith." Nathan nodded, as if this were no surprise.

"What." She questioned, but it was not said as a question. It was a mere statement.

"You've been seeing Keith. These past couple of years."

"Well, _that_, young man, is none of your business." She was smiling mischievously, and for a moment she looked slightly like Brooke. Albeit, a forty-year old version of Brooke.

"What's this young man stuff?" He teased. "I'm not even a full eighteen years younger than you."

"Eighteen years makes a difference. I'll tell you, _kid_." She emphasized the last word, and he smiled, happily defeated.

"Well, back _on_ to the subject, I'm happy for you and Keith. I think it's about time it happened."

Karen nodded slowly, her eyes looking at anything but him. "Well, thank you. Not that I'm admitting to anything."

"No, of course not." He was grinning now, a boyish grin that reminded her quite strongly of her ex-boyfriend, a man she had spent years trying to forget. Nathan's features were sweeter though. His blue eyes were equally intense, yet softer. He was nothing like Dan, she realized.

"So," She pressed her hand to his in a maternal fashion. "How's life, Nate?"

He looked down. Well, for starters, I'm having sex with your son's wife, he thought bitterly. Instead he said, "Uh, it's okay. Not the best, I guess."

"Haley?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "Honestly, I think Haley and I were over a long time before we were. It was just hard letting go. This is more.. I mean, work's not so good. And there's some other stuff.."

"You can talk to me about anything, Nathan." She said seriously, and he wondered how his father could have ever left this woman.

"It's - I'd rather not talk about it right now." Even Karen Roe, who was pretty damn understanding, would not understand this.

"Okay. I can respect that," She allowed. "So tell me, how's Lucas?"

Since Lucas had begun growing closer to his father, she had seen less and less of him. As the years had gone by, she found that he was more with his father than with her. She had drifted apart from her own son.

When he'd been growing up, this had seemed like an impossibility. Now, she was lucky to receive his Christmas card. He called of course, on special occasions. Sometimes he would visit, but visits were extremely rare.

As time had gone by, she had actually found that she was closer to _Nathan_, rather than Lucas. It was sad, but there was no point in denying it. Since he'd gone to a community college in Tree Hill, and him and Haley had been married, he'd visited the café quite frequently, always eager to strike up conversation with Karen. He'd be there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Karen had found that Nathan was much more interesting than she'd ever given him credit for, and she'd seen him daily for years. Even after Haley and him had split, he'd still get more calls from him than her own son.

Nathan was her son. Maybe not by blood, but she truly felt a maternal bond to him. Maybe it was because he was Dan's son. Or Lucas' brother. Or Haley's husband. Or all of the above, or maybe something entirely unrelated.

Even so, she still missed Lucas. He _was_ her baby, after all. Her little boy.

"He's good," Nathan nodded. "I just moved out of his place with Brooke about a month ago."

"I heard. I was going to bring you a house-warming gift, but we've been swamped. I'm sorry." She apologized, and he knew she meant it.

"It's okay." He laughed.

"Tell me," her eyes narrowed, "that you have furniture. No beanie bags, and a playstation."

"Please," He scoffed. "I have an X-box."

"_Nathan_.."

"And," he laughed, "furniture. Don't worry."

"How's your refrigerator?"

"Full!" He exclaimed, and his brother's mother laughed, throwing her head back. Her hair had grown back to its way when he'd first met her; shoulder-length, thick, and curly.

"Good. Tell me more about Lucas and Brooke." Karen demanded.

"Well," He scratched his head. "What do you want to know?"

"Are they happy?"

He did not like lying to Karen. He _hated_ it. He wanted to get off this subject right now. "Sure. As happy as they usually are." He managed.

Karen didn't look convinced. "Are they trying to get pregnant again?"

"I don't think so."

"Are they sleeping in the same bed?"

"Karen!"

She shrugged. "What? It's a valid question. And it's not like he'll tell me."

"Yes, they sleep in the same bed." He sighed, defeated once more by the witty, older brunette.

It occurred to him then that him and Karen shared almost the exact same hair color. That Karen could be _his_ mother, and Deb could be Lucas'. He wondered for a moment how different life would have turned out if things had gone that way.

"Brooke," Karen said the name softly. Almost _painfully_ softly for him. "Brooke's okay, right?"

"She's fine."

"But is she _really_? Man, that woman has had a tough life. I just.. you know?"

"Brooke's.." He trailed off, wondering _what_ exactly Brooke was. And what exactly she was to him. His lover, dare he say his _girlfriend_? Could you have boyfriends when you were married? Was it possible?

"Nathan."

"Huh?" He had dazed off, and Karen had clearly noticed.

"Brooke." She nodded, an eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"She's, she's more like herself than she has been in months."

Tears filled Karen's blue eyes, which he thought were quite an interesting shade. They truly reminded him of the Pacific ocean. They were a _dark_, ocean-y blue. He'd never quite seen eyes that color. "Oh good. I should really visit them sometime soon."

"You should," he agreed. "They'd like that." He looked down.

Karen lifted his chin. "I'll visit you, too. Maybe bring you a lava-lamp and a roast beef sandwich?"

He chuckled. "I would really enjoy that."

"We need to spend some more time together, kiddo." She nudged him.

"Yeah," He said, and then a bit louder, a bit surer, "yes. You know, you should come over for dinner. We can talk more. It'll be nice."

Karen smiled faintly, looking around her small, warm café for a moment before looking back over at him. "You know, you didn't fail Haley."

He bit his lip, failing to meet her gaze. "I'm not sure I believe that, but thanks."

"No, really. You were always there. It just - I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

He didn't want to cry. It seemed he'd been having to stop himself from doing that a lot recently. Which was weird. He didn't cry. Men weren't supposed to cry.

"Yeah," His voice cracked.

"Hey," Karen put her tiny hand on his chin, forcing his gaze to meet hers. "I am _so_ proud of this. You've handled this so well. And you gave her the apartment and everything in it, and you didn't try to fight the divorce. You are _such_ a wonderful man, Nathan."

"Thank you." He whispered, and Karen leaned forward to kiss his forehead softly.

"You are my son," she told him. "And I'm proud to say it."

"I don't.." He struggled for words. "I don't think you have anything to be proud of. With me. I'm not.."

"You are," She argued. "And don't doubt yourself, Nathan. You have a bright future ahead of you."

"I'll visit more." He promised suddenly.

"Ah," She stood, clearing a couple plates from beside him as the bell rang again, signifying another customer. "You better, mister."


	29. Two Headed Boy, She's All You Could Need

_**Author's Note: **_To those of you that are reviewing, you are so wonderful. I've been getting such interesting, insightful reviews and I love you guys for it. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one. We're almost to thirty! Yay!

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Two Headed Boy, She is All You Could Need**_

For his part, Keith seemed extremely surprised to see Nathan standing before him, looking somewhat confused himself. They stood in the Scott Auto Body Shop. Once Keith had made enough money, he had bought it back from Dan years before, and had restored it to its full potential.

Nathan had appeared suddenly from behind a car, hands shoved deep into his pockets, scruff growing over his face, proving that he was more of a man than he'd been the last time he'd worked there.

"Nathan," Keith had started with a smile. "It's a pleasure. Uh, a little surprising, but.." He trailed off uncertainly.

"Uncle Keith," his heart warmed considerably at the fact that Nathan had not called him just Keith, but _Uncle_ Keith. He knew they were family, Nathan did. "I'm really sorry to bother you, but, uh-"

"Not bothering me." Keith quickly interjected, and by now his curiosity level was extremely high. _What_ was Nathan doing here?

Nathan laced his fingers together, and then pulled them apart, repeating the motion several times before he said, "I kind of need a job."

Keith arched an eyebrow and Nathan continued. "Temporarily, of course. I mean.. I just haven't been making a lot of money lately, and well, the bills are starting to pour in, and-"

"It's fine, Nate. You know you always have a job here." He was happy now, that his young nephew would be spending more time with him. Since both boys had graduated from high school, he'd seen little of them. Truthfully, he'd probably seen more of Nathan than Lucas, as Nathan had often spent days at Karen's Café when him and Haley had still been married.

"Thanks, man. You're really saving me here."

"Nah. Just helping you out." Keith offered with a shrug. If there was one thing all Scott men had in common, it was that they were proud. He would not take that away from Nathan, even if the boy was willing to give it up.

The younger man shuffled his feet, barely able to make eye contact with his uncle. "So, when would I start?"

"As soon as you'd like," Keith was smiling. "It's going to be really great having you, Nate. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Nathan nodded his head profusely. "We do. I'm sorry that I'm only just coming around now that I need a job.."

"Don't worry about it, kid." Now, _there_ was a quality most of the Scott men lacked. Keith Scott was probably the best of the Scott family, Nathan decided. His one flaw was a drinking problem Nathan was almost positive he'd given up years ago, when him and Karen had secretly begun seeing each other. It was funny how they'd never gone public with their relationship, but Nathan assumed it would simply cause too much drama. After all, Karen's ex-boyfriend and the father of her child was Keith's brother. Way to follow the Hamlet storyline, eh?

"I could start today." Nathan offered. It wasn't like he had much else to do. That proposal would probably sit at his apartment unattended to forever. He always did this. He always had ideas that he never managed to follow through on. It was ridiculous. How could he be an architect if he couldn't even successfully finish one measly project?

Keith shook his head. "Nah. Go home. Start tomorrow morning. It's late today, anyway. There'll be nothing for you to do."

"Uh, alright.."

"But," His uncle grabbed his arm, holding him in a firm grip. "You're family, Nate. And I know you're going to work hard. So, why don't I give you a little advance on your paycheck?"

"Are you serious? Uncle Keith, you haven't even seen me-"

"It's not _that_ long ago you worked here. Plus, I've got a memory like an elephant. I remember you being pretty hardworking." He was already walking towards his office, where a blank check probably lay awaiting Nathan.

"You don't have to-"

"Come on, Nathan. I know you're proud. But sometimes we all need a little help," he clapped him on the back. "Take the money."

With a bow of his head and a string of gratitude leaving his lips, Nathan took the check from his uncle. He hadn't _wanted_ to, but the truth was, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have been eating anything for dinner that night. Just like he hadn't the night before. And quite frankly, he was hungry.

-

Nathan had cashed the check the second it had been given to him, instantly going for a large all-you-can-eat lunch at a Hometown Buffet. Wasn't exactly one of the five-star restaurants he'd dined at when living with his parents, but it would certainly do for now.

He returned home with the ghost of a smile still on his features. That Keith, man. A really stand-up guy. The check had been a generous amount and would definitely help pay some of his outstanding bills.

He found it funny that he was so grateful for this. In reality, he was a basically unemployed loser who was having an affair with his brother's wife. He had nothing to be happy about. When he thought about it, he was surprised he hadn't killed himself by now.

"Well," He muttered to himself, flicking on the television. "I've always got Friends re-runs. Definite reason to live."

-

"You still don't know very much about cars, do you?" Keith had a stretched smile on his face, and he rubbed the back of his head with his permanently greased stained hands, squinting slightly.

"Uh, about as much as I did last time I worked here." The two were standing in front of a car that had something wrong with fan belt. What exactly, Nathan did not know, because he wasn't - just wasn't - a mechanic. Maybe he was _technically_, but him and Keith were kidding themselves if they thought he knew a damn thing about cars.

Keith sighed. "Alright. In that case, I'm going to put you on a different job."

"Anything."

"How do you feel about washing cars?"

"Well," he furrowed a brow, "I detailed them when I worked for you in high school. But I mean, is there a difference between detailing and washing?"

Keith frowned. "Yeah, you're going to be need my help."

-

Once Keith had explained to him how to wash a car, Nathan found it was actually pretty easy. The reason, Keith told him, that they washed the cars that were brought in was because quite often, in the shop, the cars were made so dirty they'd become unrecognizable. And it was polite to return a customer's car clean. Keith had learned over the years that the better you treated the customers, the more they came back. It was simple and pretty obvious if you thought about it, but surprisingly, many businesses did not.

Nathan liked that the other people working did not bother him. He himself could wash a car, keeping to his own thoughts. Maybe he would have preferred having someone to talk to, but none of the guys here were really all that, well, _polite_.

Currently, Nathan was soaping up a flashy red BMW, a convertible that he would have liked to own himself. He couldn't help but think that if he'd never married Haley, he would probably be driving a car similar to this one right now. With a shake of his head, he forced these thoughts from his mind.

"Nathan,"

He froze at the sound of her voice, sure his mind was deceiving him. He wanted to turn around to make sure she was there, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it if she wasn't. Even worse, he wasn't sure that if she _was_ there, he'd be able to stop himself from kissing her.

Swallowing, he turned slowly.

So it had not been an illusion. Brooke stood before him, chewing on her lip in a way he knew she did when she was sometimes nervous. Her eyes collided with his, and he wanted so badly to kiss her that he was not sure he could handle it.

"What are you doing here?" He spoke gruffly. More importantly, how did she know he was working there?

"You didn't tell me you were working at Keith's." Her voice was lowered now, arms fastened across her chest.

He shrugged. "Because it's not a big deal."

"If you need money-"

"Stop." And she did. But Brooke Davis was nothing if not stubborn, and she rolled her eyes at him, then choosing to focus her gaze on nothing but the ground.

In a small voice she said, "I brought you something."

"Brooke, maybe now's not the time.." But it was to no avail. She was already digging through her purse for whatever she had brought for him. When she pulled out the box, he swallowed.

"We're in public. This - this might be suspicious."

"Open it." Her voice held no emotion and he shivered involuntarily, not liking the way she had sounded. Not liking this situation at all. It was strange. He felt something in his stomach like he might throw up.

He opened the box slowly, and when his eyes landed on the folded up, red, button-up shirt, he made a face. She had brought him a _shirt_? Why? Had this just been an excuse to come see him at work? Because this did not seem like something Brooke would do.

"Thanks?"

"It's nice, isn't it?" She was looking at the shirt now, running her fingers over the soft fabric. "I saw it when I was shopping yesterday. I thought it seemed like something you might wear."

"Brooke, I hardly go to the fancy parties you and Lucas go to." His voice was laced with bitterness and he wondered if she had noticed.

"You still wear a lot of button-up shirts. And collared shirts, too. It's kind of funny, I think." She was smiling now, the traces of dimples becoming much more noticeable. Their eyes met, and hers were kind and he knew his were too.

"Come over soon." He said, practically in a whisper. He was basically begging her, and he knew that if it came down to it, he _would_ beg.

He had never felt so desperate before. Like, if she did not agree to come over, his night would be ruined. Maybe his week too.

He wasn't sure what this meant, but Nathan definitely did not like it.

Well, he didn't like that he actually did like it so much.

-

With a clear shot from his office, Keith watched the two younger people talk.

He was no expert on body language, but there was something about the way Nathan and Brooke were standing that he _knew_ was not normal. The way Nathan's body was inching as close to hers as it could without actually touching her. The way their fingers accidentally brushed together, and when they did finally touch, they jumped apart, looking around to make sure no one had seen.

He would keep his mouth shut, but Keith Scott had a feeling he knew what was going on.

-

As he drove home, Keith could not shake the image of Brooke and Nathan from his mind.

He suspected _something _was going on. An affair? He just wasn't sure he'd ever see that happening. Brooke seemed so in love with Lucas, at least to him. From what he'd seen over the years, Brooke was possibly _more_ in love with Lucas than he was with her. She treated him like he was above her, that much was obvious. He had a feeling Brooke had a sub-conscious body that told her she was not good enough for him. And Nathan! Well, Nathan was certainly loyal to Lucas. He would not do that to his own brother.

He _was_ however, Dan Scott's son. This was the only reason he had a feeling his hunches were right on. He wished they weren't, because the after-effects - oh, they'd be more devastating than a natural disaster.

Maybe, he told himself, maybe Nathan and Brooke weren't having an affair. He couldn't help but feel the sickening pull in his stomach he'd felt years before, when he had been in love with _his_ own brother's girlfriend. Could this be the same? Could Nathan be in love with Brooke?

It _did_ make sense.

Either way, Keith Scott was sure of something. The way Nathan had been looking at Brooke Davis-Scott was proof of something Keith had felt himself years before.

There was no doubt in Keith's mind that Nathan was in love with Brooke.

No doubt at all.


	30. Girl on Fire

_**Author's Note: **_Yay! We made it to thirty! And wow! The response to the last chapter was so wonderful. Keep it up, guys. Seriously, the fact that you're reviewing makes this so much easier to write. I know a lot of you are against the storylines, but you're sticking with me, and for that I owe you.

Doing a bit of promotion for myself, here. Heh. Check out my two newest stories **An Attempt to Tip the Scales** and **Change in the Weather**. Hopefully you won't be too disappointed with them. Anyway, enjoy!

--

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty: Girl on Fire**_

Brooke squeezed her eyes shut, holding the damp cloth to her forehead. She'd been getting a lot of migraines lately. The fact that they usually happened to her when she started thinking really hard was bothering her. It was like, her brain's way of telling her that she needed to let go of whatever was on her mind. It was kind of ridiculous.

Lucas was at work, and she was home alone. She had contemplated calling Nathan, but had then decided against it, and now, with her headache fading away, she wondered why she had done this.

The doorbell rung loudly, and she groaned. She quietly scolded herself for not hiring a housekeeper years ago to do this sort of thing for her. It rang once more and she suppressed an angry yell, instead pulling herself to her feet.

As she stood, she felt a head rush coming on, and she sat down again. The doorbell rang a final time, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. She made her way downstairs at her own speed, figuring that if the person left before she got there, what they had come to tell her must not have been all that important.

When she finally reached the door, she pulled it open with a pasted on smile. It fell from her features instantly when she saw the person on the other end. She was tempted instantly to slam the door.

"God, that took forever. What the hell were you doing?" Rachel Gatina stood before her in a jacket that resembled a cluster of live chinchillas, one hand on her hip, the other clutching a cigarette that she had yet to puff.

"Um," It took everything in Brooke's power not to reach over and slap the other woman's fake face. She'd heard rumors in high school that Rachel had once been extremely fat and unattractive, and had had tons of reproductive surgery to make her look like she did now. It was kind of hard to believe, what with them being only seventeen at the time, but she honestly would not put it past her. "What the hell are _you_ doing _here_?"

"Right." The redhead bobbed her full head of hair slowly up and down. "I figured you'd still be pissed about the New Years thing."

"Well, nothing gets passed you. Now, about my first question.." She was seething. This girl had no regret whatsoever. She didn't even seem to care that she could have _easily_ ruined a marriage with her little 'New Years Thing'. Brooke found it ironic that she herself was so concerned about Rachel ruining her and Lucas' marriage, when she was single-handedly ruining it herself. With a little help from Nathan.

"Okay, okay. Obviously we're not going to be exchanging pleasantries anytime soon," The girl seemed almost disappointed in herself for the next words she spoke, but she spoke them nonetheless. "But I wanted to apologize. For kissing Lucas on New Years. I was drunk, and pissed, and feeling a _little_ bit like I was in high school."

"That's not an excuse."

"Lighten up. It's not like he kissed back." She puffed at her cigarette, and though she blew the smoke out of the side of her mouth, it went directly in Brooke's face, who nearly gagged. If there was one thing that truly disgusted her, it was cigarettes. She did _not_ need this right now.

"Well, as far as apologies go.."

"Okay, okay," another puff, "look, I _am_ sorry. It's not like I ever really knew you in high school or anything-"

"Except for during the brief period of time in which you went after Lucas.." Brooke nodded slowly.

Rachel rolled her eyes, pulling her jacket tighter around her frame. "Okay, whatever. Will you just hear me out for a second?"

Brooke crossed her arms, but stayed silent. Rachel hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Okay. So, here's the deal.."

She was choosing her words carefully. Brooke noticed this as she watched the girl bite her lip in frustration, taking two long drags from her cigarette. "Since just apologizing to you about what happened is obviously not going to make you less pissed off, I have an.. _offer_ for you."

"This'll be good." The other woman raised an eyebrow, and Brooke resorted to pouting, leaning against the door frame.

"Can I come in? It's kind of cold out here."

"No."

"Fair enough. Okay. I was wondering if you and Lucas, and maybe a couple of your friends would like to come up to my cabin in Charleston for the weekend." She'd said it so quickly, Brooke had hardly heard her.

"What?" She grinded her teeth. "Couldn't get any of your _own_ friends to come along?"

She shook her head. "Look, it's the only way I know how to say sorry. And no offense, but you look like hell. You could use a weekend to just have fun."

"How would you know what _I_ could use?"

Rachel dropped her cigarette to the ground, putting it out using her heeled boot. Brooke tried not to pounce on the girl for putting a cigarette out on her _front porch_, and instead stared at her, waiting for a response.

"You know what? Fine. Can't say I didn't try." And as she began to walk away, Brooke felt herself begin to give in. She really _could_ use a weekend away.

"Wait," She called after Rachel, eyes squeezed shut. "I'm listening."

Her migraine was coming back.

-

Lucas was staring at her in what she believed was somewhat disbelief. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyes narrowed at her. "Wait, what?"

"I think it would be fun." She repeated herself, shrugging her shoulders.

"I just can't believe Rachel _apologized_. Doesn't seem like something she'd do."

"Well," Brooke was losing patience now. Did he want to go or not? "She did."

He laughed, like he sometimes did when he did not think things were funny. "Well, are you sure this isn't just a chance for her to try something _else_?"

"She's not a criminal mastermind, Lucas. I think she's genuinely sorry. I think she's matured." She did not believe this herself at all the slightest bit, but she needed to be out of Tree Hill for a couple days. The place was smothering her. It held all of her secrets.

Lucas scratched his head. "Alright, I guess. I could take a few days off work. Who would we bring? I mean, she said that we could bring a few friends, so.."

Brooke nodded. "Peyton, obviously. And she'll probably want to bring Dave since they're dating and everything.."

"How about Nathan?"

She swallowed. "Do you really think he'd want to go?"

"Why not? Do you not want him to or something?" Lucas frowned.

"No, no, no. It's fine. I just hope he doesn't get lonely up there or anything.." She was digging her own grave and she knew it. All that was left was to throw herself into the coffin and nail it shut.

"He'll have us. I'm sure he'd love to get away from here for a little. And I mean, it's not like you were planning on inviting Haley or anything." He chuckled, laying back on their bed. She remained standing, and did not let him know her thoughts. This was not a strange occurrence, as she rarely did these days. To be honest, she _had_ considered inviting Haley. Although the two had rarely spoken since Nathan's split with her, Brooke had to admit that she kind of missed her old friend. Despite the fact that she had broken Nathan's heart, Brooke felt bad for leaving the girl so far out of the group. She wondered if Haley had friends.

"Yeah," Brooke said softly. "So, we'll go?"

"If you want to." Lucas shrugged.

She thought for just a moment. "Yeah. You never know. Could be fun."

-

_This_ was not her idea of fun. Somehow, while deciding who would go in which car, Nathan had been stuck with her and Lucas. And the last thing she needed at this point was to be stifled in a car with her husband _and_ her lover.

Rachel had decided to go with Peyton and Dave, who hadn't really seemed to mind all that much, although Brooke assumed it was because they were simply happy that she was allowing them a weekend away from Tree Hill. Brooke had also volunteered to go in the other car, stating she wanted some quality time with her best friend. The car would be, they decided without her, too full in this situation, and Peyton promised they'd spend some quality time up at the cabin.

So now, Brooke was stuck.

She watched her best friend drive off with Dave and Rachel, laughing at something her boyfriend had said. Peyton had come a long way over the years, Brooke realized. She had become an entirely different person. Gone was the self-loathing, cheating, brooding teenage girl, replaced with a confident, happy, self-serving woman. She had grown as a person. Brooke had done the exact opposite.

As Nathan and Lucas talked about something, with Lucas beside her and Nathan in the back seat, Brooke closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.

She didn't want to be here. It was too strange. It was uncomfortable. Nathan seemed so okay with the situation it bothered her. Him and Lucas were laughing about some thing some player had done for some team during some basketball game. She could not keep up.

"So," Lucas said suddenly and quite cheerfully. "This should be fun. It's been a while since the three of us have hung out, huh?"

Brooke turned to look at Nathan through the corner of her eye. He looked guilty now, staring down at the carpeted floor of Lucas' new truck he'd gotten from Dan's dealership a month before, when his lease on the other car had been up.

"It won't be just us, though," Brooke heard herself say. "Peyton and David will be there too. And Rachel."

"Well, yeah, but so will we." Lucas smiled at her, and she felt her stomach turn.

God, she was a terrible person.

-

Haley looked through the window of the café. She was closing up, working the shift on her own. She liked working by herself sometimes. Gave her time to think.

Tonight however, her mind was thinking too much for her.

Rachel Gatina had stepped into the café for a quick cup of coffee earlier that morning and, always unable to keep her own business to herself, had spilled to Haley that she was taking Brooke, Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, and Peyton's boyfriend away to her cabin for the weekend.

Haley had smiled and imitated interest as the girl had blabbed on and on.

And all she'd been able to think about was how these had once been her own friends, and how they had not invited her.


	31. Could We Change the Subject Now?

_**Author's Note: **_Sorry updates have been taking so long lately. I'm getting so overwhelmed with school. And I've recently become obsessed with High School Musical. And of course, it's hard to update _and_ have a steady social life. But I'm going to try to update more frequently. This chapter was just a little hard to write.

But there's a little something in there for all those BL-ers who've been sticking with me, but have been secretly hoping for my death. Thank you and please review!

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty-One: Could We Change the Subject Now?**_

It was late, so they spoke in hushed whispers, despite the fact that the cabin's size was so large they could probably scream and would probably not be heard.

Brooke and Lucas lay close together, her still breathing heavily from what they'd been doing moments before, him stroking her hair, her arms, her back, all so soft.

"Lucas," She said softly. Her mind was saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I never meant to ruin us. I always loved you so much more than you loved me. I'm sorry,' but he did not hear this, and he simply smiled at her so beautifully that she wanted to cry.

He kissed the tip of her nose, and then her forehead, and slowly pushed his lips against hers, so passionately that when he pulled away she was left breathless and in awe.

The room was very dimly lit by candles, but as she allowed her fingers to touch his face, she felt she could see him clearly. She ran her fingers down the bridge of his crooked nose, over his cheekbones she'd always loved, landing on his plump lips, still swollen from her own.

"I love you so much," He said to her, and it was then that she began to weep, because she was not sure how she felt for him anymore, and it was only because she had forgotten over the years that he'd cared for her. He hadn't shown her what she'd needed to be shown and she had let herself move on.

She looked into his eyes and she saw Nathan's. She wanted to die so that she'd be free of this misery. In her heart she felt something so deeply for Lucas that she could not explain, but she was no longer sure it was love.

When she was with Nathan, she felt love. She felt like she was with her best friend, someone who understood her completely, all while being a mystery. Lucas, she knew, but she did not know him as well as she had before. They were hardly together these days.

He drifted asleep in her arms, still kissing her every so often until finally she could tell by his breathing patterns that he was out.

"I could have loved you forever if you had let me." She said so quietly to him that even she herself did not hear it.

--

Peyton couldn't help but laugh as she spotted her boyfriend and Nathan sitting quietly at the dining table, both looking incredibly uncomfortable as they munched on their Captain Crunch and Fruit Loops respectively.

When Dave looked up and saw her, he visibly relaxed incredibly, smiling widely at her.

"Boy, you guys seem to be having fun." She laughed and Nathan shot her a look.

"Oh come on, it's not _that_ big of a deal. Of course it's going to be awkward. You two don't know each other, and Nathan and I dated for three years in high school." She shrugged, pouring herself a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats.

Dave frowned, looking over at her. "You two _dated_? For three _years_?"

Suddenly, Peyton was the one looking uncomfortable, and Nathan was the one suppressing his laughter, doing a surprisingly better job than her.

"Uh, well yeah. But it was high school. He was a jerk."

"Hey!"

"Seriously?" Peyton arched an eyebrow, and Nathan nodded after a moment, now looking over at Dave.

"It's true. I was an ass."

Dave chuckled. "What made you change?"

Peyton and Nathan made eye contact for a fleeting moment and Peyton thought back to the days when Haley had been tutoring Nathan. As both of them stuttered for words, Dave looked between them, then looked back down at his cereal.

"Forget I asked."

They began to eat once more, in a painfully awkward silence. Nathan laughed quietly after a moment, looking at Peyton. "Way to make it less awkward, Sawyer."

"Shut up, Scott."

The trio shared a laugh, and suddenly conversation flowed much easier.

When Lucas entered the room, taking a seat beside Nathan, the only person who seemed to notice the falter in conversation was Nathan, seeing as how he'd been in the one to falter.

Lucas and Dave had indulged themselves in a conversation of the land the cabin was situated on, and Nathan had long since zoned out, staring at his cereal, watching the fruit loops become more and more soggy with each second that passed.

"So, what do you think, Nathan?" He looked up to meet Dave's gaze.

"Sorry, what?"

Lucas piped in. "Me and Dave are going to go quad riding in an hour or so. Wanna go?"

Spending more time with Lucas than he had to? No thanks.

"You know, the weather says it's going to rain.."

Peyton puffed out her bottom lip, doing her best imitation of a puppy dog. "Aw, and is yittle Natey afwaid of a yittle wain?"

He crinkled his nose. "No, I just don't really feel up to it. I think I'll stay behind."

"Alright." Lucas shrugged.

"You guys are so lucky. Rachel's _dragging_ me off shopping." Peyton rolled her eyes.

Dave laughed. "Why don't you just say no?"

"Because! Because, she's being nice enough to let us stay in this gorgeous place. I can't just say no when she asks me to go grocery shopping with her."

"Well, at least Brooke will be there."

Lucas shook his head, draining the last of his cereal. "Nope. When Rachel asked her, she flat-out said no and then went to take a shower."

"Typical Brooke. Never one to be fake." Peyton nodded with a laugh.

So it would just be Nathan and Brooke left behind. Nathan was seconds away from agreeing to go quad-riding. _This_ would no go well.

--

The clouds were already turning gray when Lucas and Dave set off, laughing as they disappeared into the forest behind Rachel's cabin. Peyton pulled her curly locks up into a loose bun as she and Rachel approached Dave's car, and she looked back at Brooke with a pleading smile.

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"Yeah, no thanks." Brooke didn't even crack a smile, sitting at the edge of the porch steps in a long, summery dress that would now go to waste because of the rain.

Peyton sighed. "I kind of hate you."

"Aw, I love you too. Have fun!" She went back into the house, hearing the car drive off in the distance. Her gaze lingered on an Elle magazine that sat at the counter, and she longed to delve inside it, but she knew it would be no use. Her mind would be running in moments, and she would be back to square one. She declared to herself that she'd been stupid for not going with Peyton and Rachel, but she knew that if she _had_ gone, Rachel would have probably come home with a black eye. So maybe this was for the better.

After a moment's hesitation, she grabbed the magazine, plopping herself down on one of Rachel's plush leather couches. A movement outside however, caught her eye, and she looked outside the window, frowning. Nathan was trying to push a small row-boat out into the river, but it did not seem to be working, as it was chained to the dock.

Throwing the magazine down, she quickly made her way outside, bare-footed and sure to regret it later.

"Nathan!" She called. "Nathan, what the hell are you doing?"

He turned to look at her. "What does it look like I'm doing."

Rain droplets began to fall, and she shivered, wrapping her arms tightly around her small frame.

"It's raining. You're wasting your time."

"I don't mind the rain, Brooke." He was speaking to her like he had when they'd been in high school and he'd been particularly rude, thinking her, like others, to be a brainless slut. His demeaning tone made her want to slap him.

"Well, obviously not. Whatever. Freeze your ass off. I don't care." She turned, beginning to walk off the dock towards the house, when his voice stopped her.

"You shouldn't care. It's not like we're a couple or anything." His voice had her turning on her heel and making her way rapidly towards him. She pushed him as hard as she could, but he did not budge.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way." She choked out, trying to push him once more.

"God, what am I even doing here? I shouldn't be here! _This_," he gestured between them, "is ridiculous. This should not be happening."

It was raining so hard now that she had to squint to look up at him, and the rain still managed to sting her eyes.

"_You _are ridiculous! Don't you _dare_ talk to me as if I mean nothing to you!"

"You _do_ mean nothing to me," She slapped him hard across the face, but it didn't compare to the rain falling around them, which was sure to leave red marks across their bodies.

She was sobbing now, and he felt himself weaken. "We can't do this, Brooke!"

"I can't believe you would tell me I mean nothing to you. I can't believe.." She had trailed off, using her hands to cover his face.

"Of course I'm going to say that!" Nathan shouted. "Don't you understand? You mean everything to me. I can't lose you, but it seems so much harder this way! Sneaking around, hurting Lucas.."

She felt like she might be sick, but as she looked up to really gaze into his eyes, her heat melted. She stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him, and he wrapped his arms so tightly around her, she felt he'd never let go.

He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, breaking contact with his lips only to kiss his forehead and nose and jaw, just to breathe him in.

They entered the cabin soaking wet, and as he placed her gently on the ground. She whimpered to be back in his arms, and he pushed her up against the entrance wall, her wet body leaving a print on the old wallpaper. He kissed her neck, roughly tugged off her dress.

They were an interesting duo, stumbling towards the first bedroom they could find, stripping off clothes as they went.

As he laid her down on the bed, he placed butterfly kisses down her naked stomach, then came back up to meet her lips once more.

"They'll be home soon," She managed to get out, moaning softly as she said it.

He nodded wordlessly, and entered her just as quietly. As they writhed in the bed together, with heat and passion like she'd never felt before, Brooke found herself feeling something close to euphoria.

Later, she'd remember watching a documentary about the dangers of the cold. How when you were freezing to death, you'd feel euphoria the minute before your death. Everything would be okay for a moment, and then you would die.

--

Gloved hands interlaced, with their boots stomping heavily along, Peyton and Dave entered the ski shop, giggling and poking and teasing each other as they did. Peyton's hair had decided to curl even _more_ than it naturally did, allowing Dave lots of room to make jokes.

As they entered the shop, both couldn't help but sigh happily at the sudden warmth the shop held. Though the trip had been up at Rachel's cabin, Dave and Peyton had decided, the next day, to drive just a few hours up the mountain to where it was still snowing.

They hadn't been expecting it to be as cold as it was however, which had called for a little stop in the ski shop for some warmer clothing.

"Hey Brillo Pad," Dave called over to his girlfriend, who turned to him with a scowl. "You want another hat? Looks like that one can't get all the hair in.."

"Hey Jackass," Peyton countered with a smirk. "You want sex? Like, ever..?"

"Fair enough." Dave pulled her close, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose, which had managed to stay fairly pale despite the cold.

"Peyton?"

Both heads turned towards the voice, and Peyton furrowed her brow at the sight of the man before them. Blonde, spiky hair, strangely shaped green eyes, and lips the size of--

"Mouth!"

The man laughed, looking much older than his twenty-something years. "It's Marvin now."

Peyton pulled her old friend into a hug. Though she was sure she'd seen him at Tim's New Years party, they hadn't actually talked. "I can't believe you go by Marvin now," She murmured, pulling away from him and unconsciously lacing her fingers with Dave's.

"Yeah. Well, Mouth didn't really work when I was trying to be a serious business man."

"_Was_?" Had he retired already? Mouth wasn't even thirty yet.

"Well, I work from home now," He explained. "I don't really have to go into the office anymore." He gave a little shrug.

Peyton couldn't help but laugh. "What? Are you like, the next Bill Gates or something?"

Hands shoved deep into his pockets, Mouth raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I'm richer than Bill Gates."

--

As the cabin door opened, Brooke and Rachel, who'd been setting the dinner table, allowed their mouths to hang open in surprise.

"We ran into an old friend at the ski shop, and decided to bring him home for dinner." Peyton announced cheerfully, having long since gotten over the fact that Mouth was close to being the richest man in the world.

"Oh my God, Mouth!" Brooke ran into her old friend's open arms, still the only person that didn't know of his long-harbored crush on her.

Nathan and Lucas revealed themselves, coming out from the kitchen into the dining room. Lucas gave the man a surprised hug, happy to see someone he'd been best friends with just a few years ago.

"What are you doing up here?" Brooke crossed her arms over her chest, the air growing slightly cold with the new arrivals.

"Oh, I just came down to do a little skiing. Ran into Peyton and Dave, and they thought I should come over to catch up. I couldn't refuse." He was still as skinny as ever, but he'd long since grown out of his shy phase, that much was obvious. Money could do that to you, Brooke supposed.

Rachel smiled seductively. "You know, I read an article about you somewhere that said you were really rich."

"Richer than Bill Gates." Peyton piped up.

Mouth simply shrugged, clearly un-phased by this fact. "Well, I may be a millionaire, but I'm still starving. What's for dinner?"

--

The night was going exceptionally well, Lucas thought to himself as he observed the dinner table. Everyone was conversing, and even Rachel and Brooke were being somewhat polite to each other. Plus, Mouth's surprise visit had made the night even better, because everyone was having the chance to catch up. Plus, the guy certainly had some interesting stories to tell.

"Mouth!" Brooke was gasping, eyes wide. "You got caught with a hooker?!"

"In my defense, I didn't know she was a hooker." His shoulders were shaking with laughter.

Nathan snorted. "Yeah, dude, oldest trick in the book."

"Yeah, plus, didn't the fact that she kept saying, 'Well, that's going to cost you extra' tip you off a little bit?" Peyton grinned.

"I thought she was kidding!" The innocence that had been there where they were teenagers still reflected through Mouth, hooker aside.

Everyone was laughing, everyone was having a good time. This was really working out well. The conversation continued on and on. Everyone discussed Mouth, and then themselves, and finally, devastatingly, Mouth turned to Brooke and Lucas and said, "Last I heard, you two were having a baby. So, how is it?"

The table went quiet, the smiles falling from almost everyone's faces. Brooke had turned a ghost white, so Lucas took it upon himself to say, "We um, we lost the baby."

"Oh God," Mouth swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know -- I wouldn't have brought it up--"

"It's fine." Brooke shook her head, her eyes staying trained to her food. From underneath the table, Nathan reached over and squeezed her hand. Lucas, on her other end, did the same.

The table went silent, and Lucas cursed the Gods for ruining what he'd thought had been a nice dinner.

Rachel's next words could not have helped matters any less. "So, what exactly happened?"

Brooke's jaw clenched. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Come on," Rachel pressed. "I think we'd all really like to hear."

"Actually," Peyton spoke, her fists in balls, ready to pounce on Rachel at any second. "It's really none of your business, Rachel. Just because you invited us on this trip, doesn't mean you get to know every detail of our personal lives."

"I believe I was asking _Brooke_. And I'm not asking to be mean or play games. I'm genuinely curious."

Mouth was turning red, probably feeling guilt over having been the one to start this particular topic.

Nathan shook his head. "Just shut up, Rachel."

"What? You can ask Mouth about his legal troubles, but we can't ask Princess Brooke about a traumatic event that occurred in her life? God, if it's that big of a deal--"

"What do you mean, _if_ it's that big of a deal," Brooke was now speaking for herself, tears shining in her eyes. "I _lost_ my child in the worst of ways. You have no idea what I've been through, so _don't_ chastise me, Rachel."

With that, the brunette pushed her chair away from the table, storming up the stairs towards her and Lucas' room.

--

The next morning, after receiving several apologizes from Rachel (who had _not_ known the full extent of Brooke's miscarriage,) Brooke decided she'd spend the last day of the trip being completely self-involved. She'd relax in the hot tub, maybe ask Lucas or Peyton for a massage, and eat as much sugar as she could find before passing out early.

Her plan was disrupted however, as she was changing into her bathing suit.

"Going swimming?" She turned to see her husband, coffee in one hand and newspaper in the other, watching her with an amused smirk.

"I'm taking a dip in the hot tub." She shrugged her robe on, tying it tightly, almost self-consciously.

He placed his coffee down on the dresser, crossing his arms. "Well, we were all going to go skiing. Where Peyton and Dave went yesterday. Apparently it was really fun. I thought maybe you'd want to come?"

She pretended to think for a minute. "Uh, no thanks. I'll just stay behind."

"Brooke," He sighed. "It's our last day here."

"Yeah," she nodded. "And I want to spend it relaxing. What's so wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I just thought you'd want to spend it with your friends. And me."

She didn't need to have another fight. Not right now. "Lucas, I'm tired, okay? I just want to relax in the Jacuzzi. But you can go skiing. Have fun. I'll see you later."

"You know, we've barely spent time together this entire trip."

"We live together!" She threw her hands up in the air. "I'm sure we'll spend _tons_ of time together once we're home."

He made a face. "_Brooke_. You know that's not what I mean. What's going on with you?"

She heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm just really tired."

"That's okay. I'm sorry, I--"

"No, it's our last day. If you really want me to go, I'll go." She knew that it was conniving, but she already had known what Lucas' response would be before she'd even offered.

And sure enough, Lucas said: "No, it's okay. Just relax. Have the place to yourself for the day. Reality will set in tomorrow."

She walked towards him slowly, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thanks, sweetie. I hope you guys have fun."

He smiled uneasily. "Yeah, you too."

--

"Where's Brooke?" was of course, Peyton's first question as Lucas stepped out of the house, pulling his jacket on.

"She's uh, she's tired. She's staying behind." He shrugged, making his way towards the passenger seat of the car, closing the door before she could ask him another question.

Peyton crossed her arms, looking over at the large cabin. She had a clear view of the Jacuzzi, where her best friend was lowering herself into. She watched as Brooke relaxed into the tub, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Something was not right with her friend. Something bigger than the thing that had happened the night before at dinner.

And despite her best efforts, Peyton was sure that her best friend would not tell her what was wrong. Not unless she figured it out on her own.


	32. What Goes Around Comes Around

_**Author's Note: **_I got a pretty angry review last chapter, and it kind of surprised me. To said reviewer, who I'm sure knows who they are, I never promised that this story would end a Brucas, and I'd appreciate it, if you didn't tell me I'm digging myself into a hole. I like to write because it's fun, and this was just a storyline I thought I'd really enjoy writing. If you don't like it, _please_ just don't read it! There's no need to insult my writing, because I'm already weary enough of it. I personally don't think I'm a very good writer, but what I love about this website, is people care enough to read the story and review! I'm sorry if you don't like what's happening right now, but I'm working hard and I can't please everyone.

Sorry to blab on and on. Enjoy.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty-Two: What Goes Around Comes Around**_

Of course, when she and Lucas had returned to their large house, they'd discovered that the milk had gone rotten. Desperate for any excuse to leave the house, which was in a way to her, the scene of _the_ crime, Brooke offered to go out and get milk.

She realized she'd been staring at the milk section for probably about fifteen minutes before she finally shook herself out of her daze, reaching for the first milk carton she saw.

As she slowly walked down the aisle, she looked down at the milk in her hands. Of course she'd gotten _soy_. Ew. She turned to walk back towards the milk section, and didn't see the person turning the corner until they'd walked straight into each other.

She winced, rubbing the spot where both of their heads had collided. She squinted as the person she'd run into came into focus.

"Oh," was all she could say. Haley stood before her, looking both uncomfortable and annoyed.

"Hi," the girl replied coolly.

Brooke decided then that if Haley wouldn't make an effort to speak with her, neither would she. She side-stepped the woman, and had just passed her when Haley said, "How was your trip?

She didn't even try to hide the bitterness in her words, and Brooke winced once more, this time though, not from pain.

"It was fine, thanks." Her tone matched Haley's, and she wondered to herself if Haley had ever really liked her.

"How great."

Brooke turned around slowly, eyes meeting hesitantly with Haley's. She wondered what Haley would do if she knew about her and Nathan. For some reason, she was surprised to find that she did not care.

"Yeah," She said softly.

Haley rolled her eyes and began to leave, but then stopped in her own tracks, turning around to look at Brooke. "Do you know what it's like to have all your closest friends alienate you because of something you can't even control?"

"We knew Nathan first. Peyton and I grew up with him. He was one of our closest friends." Brooke told her, and she couldn't help but find it ridiculous that she felt it necessary to explain herself to Haley.

Haley nodded. "Maybe so, but Lucas was mine first."

A streak of jealousy ran through Brooke, and she said through a clenched jaw, "Nathan and Lucas are _brothers_."

"Whatever, Brooke."

Unable to look in the girl's chocolate colored eyes any longer, Brooke turned on her heel, walking back towards the milk section, Haley's words repeating themselves over and over in her head.

"_Maybe so, but Lucas was mine first." _

--

She was napping so much lately. It seemed she was always tired. She could have a great night of sleep and wake up feeling as if she'd been up for three days. Some would call this depression, but she didn't care, as long as it went away soon.

Something smelled very good. She opened her eyes, turning on her side to look at the clock. It was six-thirty. What she smelled was probably dinner. She vaguely remembered hearing Lucas say something about dinner that night. She could not for the life of her remember what it was.

By the time she'd finally gotten enough inspiration to get downstairs, several minutes had passed, and she was almost wishing she'd never woken up in the first place. As she neared the kitchen, the scent grew stronger, and she winced, suddenly knowing that her husband had probably gone out of his way to make her a nice dinner.

"You're awake," He greeted her with a warm smile, his eyes flickering with delight. Guilt traveled through her veins, taking the place of blood, and taking her over.

"Did you do all this for me?" Brooke's voice was small as she looked around the kitchen. A large vase of red roses decorated the kitchen counter, and Lucas had several pans of food cooking.

He shrugged. "Of course. I thought you'd like it."

"No, I do. I'm just.." she struggled to find a word and finally settled sheepishly with, "underdressed."

"You look fine to me. More than fine, actually." He looked her over, and she fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest.

"Lucas, I'm in my sweatpants."

"I know," A chuckle. "But I was planning on bringing this up to the bedroom for you anyway."

"Dinner in bed?" She raised an eyebrow.

He blushed. "Yeah. Like we used to."

She smiled despite herself. Dinner in bed was something she and Lucas had done thousands in times. Whenever they would visit each other in college, in the earlier stages of their marriage, and even at times when they were in high school. She could still remember the sensations that had run through her stomach as she and Lucas had laid in his twin-sized bed for the first time, munching on banana cream pie that his mother had made.

"I'd like that." She told him, willing herself to forget the present and immerse herself completely in the past; the way they'd been.

And she would.

--

"Alright, can you see?"

"It's kind of impossible for me to see when I'm blindfolded, _and_ your hands are over my eyes."

Dave nudged her as he guided her from the bedroom downstairs. "You're such a smart-ass."

Peyton laughed. "Don't tell me you're just figuring this out now."

He kissed her neck, and goose bumps formed on her arms. She shivered. "So, what's this surprise of yours?"

"Stop talking and you'll find out." Dave whispered huskily in her ear, and she felt the need to comply immediately.

Once they had finally stepped off of the carpeted floor onto the hard, kitchen tile, he removed her blindfold. She gasped, surveying the room from top to bottom. He had covered her little kitchen table with candles and a full-course meal. He'd dimmed the lights, and cleaned the kitchen. The lights outside illuminated her small backyard, and he'd moved the table closer to the window so that it would illuminate them as well.

She bit her lip, and turned to face him. "Seriously? You've gone all romantic on me?"

He leaned in towards her, pressing his lips to hers slowly and softly. "Seriously."

She tugged at his hands, guiding him towards the table he'd prepared for her. "Good. I'm all for the whole romantic thing."

"Good to know." They kissed once more, and then lowered themselves to the table, hands interlaced.

She wanted to hold on to him and never let go at that moment.

--

"Is it a computer?"

"Nope."

"Oh.. Something else electronic?"

Dave sagged his shoulders. "I can't believe we're spending our romantic dinner playing twenty questions."

"Hey," She argued. "Don't knock twenty questions. I personally think it's very romantic."

He laughed loudly, shaking his head. "You're a liar."

She smiled at him, but it faltered after a moment. "Want the truth?"

"I hope so?"

"I'm kind of new to this. To being, you know, _this_ romantic with someone. I've only done it once before, and even then, there was so much keeping us apart. _This_ is new to me, and I'm scared, so I try to avoid it best I can."

He leaned closer towards her. "Look, Peyton. I love you. I mean, I've figured you know that, but.. I mean, I really love you."

She couldn't say the words back, and she didn't know why. She loved Dave. She loved Dave. She loved Dave…

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And that's - that's the real reason I wanted to have this dinner with you tonight," He got slowly down on one knee, pulling her hands from her lap. "I love you, Peyton Sawyer. Will you marry me?"

She could not move, could not breathe, could not even _believe_ what she was hearing.

The doorbell rang and a knock followed, and Peyton looked from the door to her boyfriend's hands.

"I-I have to get that." She stood, and walked through the dark house towards the door. She figured that she was going through something of a mental breakdown. The closer she got to the door, the farther away it seemed. Shadows from the candle light danced tantalizingly around her, and Dave seemed so far away that she could no longer feel his presence.

She pulled the door open, and when she saw the person on the other end, she froze.

"Jake."


	33. And I Will Try to Fix You

_**Author's note: **_I have to say, I really like this chapter. I mean, usually I'm really hesitant about what I write, but I'm really proud of this. I worked on it all day, and I tried really hard, and hopefully that'll shine through and everyone will like it.

Thank you guys so much with your reviews. They're really what keeps me motivated, and every review you guys leave is just so detailed and to a lot of you that don't really like the way I'm taking it, you still stick around and compliment me and I love all of you. Hopefully you'll like this one, because I incorporated a lot of everything, I think. I tried to make sense of a lot.

Also, can I just say, this is the longest story I've ever written? Yup. This is just my little baby. I've never written anything past thirty chapters, and this has a while to go left. (About ten-fifteen chapters)

Finally! I'm going on a trip from Friday to Saturday to go look Saint Mary's, Stanford, UC Davis, Berkeley and San Fran State (I know, I'm starting a bit early), so it would be the best gift ever if when I get back I could have some reviews from you amazing people! Hehe! So, enjoy! (and review)

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty-three: And I Will Try to Fix You**_

"Jake."

Now this, she had not in a million years expected. Her eyes remained wide and her body paralyzed as the man that she had loved years ago stood before her, looking both nervous and terrified.

She opened her mouth to speak, and when nothing came out, she simply leaned herself against the doorframe, drinking the sight of him in. _This_ man was in so many ways not the same person she'd loved in high school, but in just as many ways, the same. It had nothing at all to do with appearance; it was just a feeling that couldn't be explained.

She forgot the entire universe existed for those first few seconds, and then finally, she heard Dave's footsteps behind her, sounding somewhat hurried and clearly confused.

As he reached her, he placed his arm on the small of her back. "Peyton?"

The look she gave him must have told him everything that she could not say, because soon after the hurt look crossed his features, he was pushing past Jake, off the porch.

Though she opened her mouth to call out to him, the past few months of them being together rushing through her head, she could not bring herself to actually yell.

Instead, she turned to Jake, who was still looking after Dave. He turned to her, scratching his head. "Uh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I.."

She contemplated for a moment. She could still run after Dave if she wanted. And if she stayed here right now, there was sure to be a can wide open, with worms covering every inch of the ground around them.

Taking a breath, Peyton said, "You didn't interrupt."

But he knew, as he stepped into her house, looking over at the dimly lit house and the candles lighting the kitchen table, that he had.

"I'm sorry I didn't call or anything," He tried to explain as he looked around. "I um, I didn't know your phone number."

Peyton was still not really believing her eyes. Actually, she wasn't believing much of anything. It was still all just a dream to her. Five minutes ago, she'd been having dinner with Dave. He'd proposed. She'd had a near-mental breakdown and went to answer the door to find.. Jake?! How did this kind of stuff happen? This was the kind of drama that would have haunted her in high school. For years now she'd been rid of it. And now, she had no idea what to do or say. All she could do was follow her gut instinct.

When she finally found her voice, she said, "I can't really believe you're here. It's been years. I mean, the last time I saw you, you were… going to find Jenny. You promised you'd be back, and you left me in Tree Hill waiting." Tears filled her eyes involuntarily at the memory. She could not forget that pain she'd felt years ago. It was like when she thought of her mother, and this terrible _ache_ would form in her heart because of all the years that she'd missed with her, all the memories that were slipping away. Jake had been slipping away from her, and she'd known nothing of his whereabouts until this very second. He was standing right in front of her, and still, she did not believe it.

"I-" And before he could say much more, she wrapped her arms around him, bringing her fingers into his hair. They glided down his soft dark curls, over his neck, where the warmth radiated from his body. He smelled the same as he always had, and it was only at that moment that she realized what was happening: _Jake_ was there.

"I missed you." He told her, burying his head into her messy mane of golden locks.

"I missed you too."

They stayed in each other's arms for about fifteen minutes, neither wanting to budge in fear that the other would disappear.

And when Peyton finally pulled away, her eyes still glinting, she asked, "Where's Jenny?"

"We're probably going to have to sit down for this. But first, who was that guy?"

"Dave," She said the name softly and guiltily, having forgotten his existence since Jake had first stepped through that door. "He's my- I don't know anymore. He asked me to marry him."

"Wha- just now?" Jake looked around the room, in the direction of the door, eyes wide.

She dropped her head. "Yeah. I didn't say yes… I actually didn't say anything because… you knocked."

He raised his hands up. "Hey, I don't want to step on anyone's toes or anything. If you have to.."

"Jake," she smiled warmly. "I can deal with him later. I haven't seen you since I was seventeen years old. Sit down with me and have a cup of coffee."

He scratched his head, not able to stop the dimpled smile that formed on his face. "I was hoping you'd say that."

--

Lucas' hand traced the outline of Brooke's neck and shoulders, the swell of her hips and thighs, up and down her smooth skin.

"Don't leave me," he said to her suddenly.

She squeezed his fingers. "I won't."

The phone rang loudly, interrupting them from a moment so tender that both of them jumped. With a loud sigh, Lucas reached over the bed to grab the phone of his nightstand.

"Yeah?" He squeezed his eyes shut, using his free hand to squeeze the bridge of his nose.

"Lucas! Lucas, I'm so glad I reached you." He hadn't heard from Deb Scott since Christmas, but he could tell by her tone that this was an emergency.

"What's wrong?"

It was only now that he could hear her sobs and heavy breathing. "P-please come over right away! It's Dan!"

Lucas shot up in bed. "I'll be right over." He stumbled to the ground, grabbing his underwear and pants, and his shirt, not knowing what to expect when he reached the elder Scott's residence.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Brooke sat up, pulling the bed sheet tighter around her small frame.

Honestly, he didn't have a clue. From what Deb had told him, it could have been anything; Dan could be going on a crazy, murderous rampage, or perhaps, something else was wrong with him. All he knew was that he didn't want Brooke getting involved.

"Look, I don't know. But I want you to call Nathan."

The idea seemed to completely freak her out. "What? Why!"

"Just do it. Something's wrong with Deb, and she was really scared. I want to make sure you're safe."

She nodded. "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

Lucas was pulling on his running shoes, eyes narrowed. "No. Call. Nathan."

Before she knew it, he was out the door and the car could be heard starting from her bedroom. She closed her eyes, before leaning over to grab the phone and complying with her husband's wishes.

--

Steaming cups of freshly brewed coffee in hand, Peyton took a seat beside Jake. Her romantic dinner with Dave had been cleared away, and the lights had been turned up.

Jake accepted the cup with open hands, and he took a long sip before finally meeting her gaze.

"So," Peyton sighed. "Jenny."

It was now, with the better lighting, that she could finally see the dark circles under Jake's eyes. He rested his elbows on the table, and then dropped his chin onto his hands.

"I looked everywhere. I went all over the country, going off whatever I could find. Any person I could get my hands on that knew her, any tip that I could get, I went off of. But I couldn't find her. I looked everywhere and the years just went by. Finally, about two months ago, I was in New Mexico, and I saw Nikki. I _saw_ her. I couldn't even believe it - I felt like I'd struck gold. You don't know what it was like, after years and years of looking, just _seeing_ her."

"That must have been wild." Peyton nodded.

"And I just, I grabbed her by the arm, and she looked at me… with this look of just, complete shock. And I asked her where Jenny was, and I mean, I must have looked like a mad-man. I hadn't shaved in months, I hadn't slept in years. And she just burst into tears, and apologized but she said she wouldn't give Jenny up. And she was so different. I mean, you saw Nikki. You knew how she was. She'd cut her hair shorter, and all the makeup was gone, and she was dressed in like, jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt."

"But how do you know it wasn't all just an act?"

"At first she wouldn't even let me see her. And I said, 'I've been searching every day of my life for you since I was seventeen years old. You can't _not_ bring me to her.' And she took me to see her," Jake paused, the ghost of a smile forming on his lips. "You should have seen Jenny, Peyton. She's - God, she's gorgeous."

"So, why didn't you bring her back?"

"I couldn't. Nikki's married to this really nice guy, Adam. I guess they're really in love. They have another kid, and Nikki was four months pregnant when I found her. I wanted to take Jenny, I did. But she didn't know me. I mean, I guess Nikki had really grown up when she took her. They had this stable family, and… and Jenny didn't want to go with me."

Peyton shook her head. "Doesn't she know about you?"

"Yeah, she did, actually. But I couldn't make her leave with me. I mean, she had this life and this _family_. I couldn't offer her a family. So all I could do was hug her and tell her I loved her, and that if she ever wanted me, I'd be there to be her dad. Any time."

"Wow, that must have been so hard.." She was at a loss for words, wondering what Jenny must look like now. That gorgeous baby had most likely grown into a gorgeous little girl.

"Yeah, it was. But what else could I do? All I ever really wanted was for her to be safe, anyway," Jake shrugged. "I know she's safe now. She's happy. And I love her too much to take that happiness away from her. And hey, she remembers me too."

Being the girl she was, Peyton could not stop the tears from falling from her eyes. "She does?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah, and you too. When I asked her, she said she remembered my face. And she remembered a curly-blonde girl."

"We had some great times together. We were a little family."

"I don't like to think about that time. You, me, and Jenny. It's too hard. It just reminds me of everything I lost." She could see that his eyes were watering as well, and as if to shrug it off, he gave a small laugh.

"Hey," Peyton reached a hand out, holding his tightly in her own. "Not everything."

--

"Don't you have any beer?" Nathan asked as he rifled through the refrigerator. "You always had beer when I lived here."

"That's because you always got the beer." Brooke told him from her spot on the kitchen counter.

He made a face. "Yeah, but who _doesn't_ have beer? Lucas loves beer."

She shrugged.

"So, did my mom say what was wrong exactly?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "We've been through this, Nate. She said that Lucas should rush over. I don't know why. Maybe your dad's gone crazy and is running around town naked with a chainsaw right now."

"I can actually picture that." He squinted, and they both laughed.

Nathan closed the fridge door, and they just looked at each other for a few moments, neither knowing what to say. Suddenly, darkness overtook the room. The electronic clocks switched off, and the blue night light shining from the windows into the kitchen was more eerie than comforting.

Brooke squealed, throwing herself from the kitchen counter into Nathan's arms. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

"It's okay. The power just went out," He reassured her, looking around the dark room for some source of light.

"Yeah, right. Your dad probably just wants us to _think _the power's gone out, but really he used the chainsaw to cut it." She whimpered.

Despite the situation, he laughed. "You've got the wildest imagination."

She shook her head, burying herself deeper into his chest. They remained standing there in the kitchen, locked together. They didn't speak for minutes, just listening for sounds from the outside.

"Are you scared?" She asked him.

"No." But he was, kind of.

He could feel her heart thundering against his chest, and her hair felt smooth and silky against his chin and nose and smelled even better. He didn't know why the darkness and these elements combined made him feel the urge to say these words, but he said them anyway. "I love you, you know."

Pressed up against him, she managed to fight the tears that wanted to spill from her eyes. "I know. I love you too, Nathan."

Releasing a sigh of relief, his grip did not falter.

"Now, I'm _really_ scared."

He chuckled. "Me too. I'm terrified."

"You're shaking." Her voice was muffled coming from his shirt.

"I hoped you wouldn't notice."

"Because of the fact that your dad's out there with a chainsaw?"

He just wanted to stand there holding her forever. He wanted to run away with her and forget the world existed and marry her and have little Brooke-Nathan children with her. _That_ was what had him shaking.

"I guess you could say that."

He knew and she knew that that wasn't why.

But neither said it.

--

The lights flickered on in Peyton's house, and she released the breath she'd been holding.

"I hate when the power goes out. I always feel like there's a murderer outside or something." She laughed nervously, and Jake smiled.

"I remember. One night when me and Jenny were staying in your dad's house, you _freaked_ when that one happened for like, six hours. I had to comfort you _and_ Jenny."

"Oh, come on. It was raining _and_ thundering! Any person with a soul would have been scared."

They both laughed, and then it was silent, as they both allowed themselves to remember that night.

Finally, Peyton said, "So, why'd you come back?"

Jake stared at her, a broken man that had finally returned to the one thing that was keeping him alive since he'd met her, and decided to tell her the truth.

"Because I promised you I would."

--

"That was scary." As the lights finally flickered on, Brooke stepped out of Nathan's arms unwillingly. They stared at each other, the light making their recent confessions a more awkward topic to be discussed.

"That was… cliché." He laughed.

"Tell me about it."

Both of them looked around, down, at the clock that had reset itself - anywhere but each other, when both heard the front door swing open. Their heads shot towards the door in interest.

Lucas' familiar footsteps filled the room, and when he finally entered, he looked extremely distraught. He ran a hand through his short hair, instantly leaning against the wall as if to brace himself.

"What's wrong?"

"What happened with Dan?" They questioned.

When he finally met Nathan's eyes, they were wide and confused, and there was even a tear about ready to fall.

"Dan's dead."


	34. Ice Age, Heat Wave, Can't Complain

_**Author's Note: **_I just want to give a shout-out to every single person that reviewed the last chapter. You guys seriously make my days a million times better. You make the best comments, suggestions - and you even correct me when I'm wrong! I have to say, I love this story. I've been writing this for nearly two years! Can you believe that? I started this when I was thirteen!

Also, you might have noticed, my profile has considerably shortened over the past couple weeks. I've been toying with the idea of deleting stories I knew I'd probably never get to updating, and as hard as it was, I finally did. I was _going_ to delete some stories that I wrote when I was like, twelve, but I couldn't for some reason. The quality of writing is terrible, but I have to keep 'em.

Anyway: I take a pretty cliché route in this chapter, and though a lot of you may disagree with it, (which, feel free to tell me by the way! Heh) I feel that's its really necessary for the plot.

Enjoy and review!

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty-Four: Ice Age, Heat Wave, Can't Complain  
**_

It was like Dan Scott himself had arranged the weather for his funeral. Though the calendar was closer to summer than it was the beginning of Spring, the rain poured from the skies as if the man himself had requested that everyone suffer on his day of remembrance.

Shoes slopped through mud in order to reach the burial grounds, and most wore large jackets and parkas that did not fit them as well as they had during winter, making them look less formal than the situation demanded.

A strong gust of wind blew up the hem of Deb Scott's black skirt, and as she blankly smoothed it down, Brooke mused from her spot beside Lucas that the woman looked like she could certainly use a cigarette. Hidden behind her large, dark sunglasses, Brooke was able to stare endlessly at those she would normally look away from, and Deb Scott was at the top of her list. Mostly because she saw so much of Deb in herself; an unhappy woman with a life that she was fortunate to even have.

Excusing herself quietly from Lucas, Brooke took slow, steady steps towards the older, blonde woman, feeling somewhat nervous.

"Hi," she exhaled, the cold wind inspiring her to tug her jacket closer around her thin frame.

Deb seemed to barely register, eyes looking up from the mahogany-colored casket before them.

"Are you, um, are you okay?" She didn't know what else to say, and she rubbed her gloved hands together. She saw that Deb was not wearing any gloves, and her wrinkled fingers were slowly turning a pale shade of blue.

Deb pasted on a smile for a moment, but it dropped off the corners of her mouth almost instantly. "Oh, I'm fine."

Brooke wasn't sure what else she could say to start conversation, and she didn't have to, because after a moment, Deb turned to her, her eyes vacant and wide. "I'm free," she said, and then she said a little louder, "I'm free."

Involuntarily, tears filled Brooke's eyes, and she hastily wiped them away. "Well, that's good, isn't it?"

Deb shrugged, and for a vulnerable moment, Brooke realized that Deb Scott was _not_ okay with Dan being dead. The woman laughed hollowly. "You must be the only person crying at Dan Scott's funeral."

It was true, she was. But still, she did not say it. Instead, Brooke reached her hand down to grab Deb's, holding it tightly in her own.

"We're going to be okay. _You're_ going to be okay."

Deb shook her head. "I'm not so sure."

As another gust of wind hit them, giving off an eerie gusting sound, Brooke shivered. "Me either."

--

Nathan, Lucas, and Brooke sat at the elder Scott kitchen table, desperate to get away from the rest of the wake; each equally depressed by the situation around them.

"I never thought he'd die," Nathan said suddenly, more to himself than the others. "I mean, the heart attacks and that fire, and.. I don't know, you know? It seemed like he'd live forever."

Lucas, the only person from the group that was probably genuinely upset about his father's death, heaved a sigh. "I never thought I'd miss him. He hurt everyone so badly.."

"It was his second heart attack," Brooke shook her head. "He was lucky he lived so long. His body probably couldn't hold on any longer."

"Actually," Lucas corrected. "This was his third heart attack. When I came here that night, Deb told me that he'd suffered another one a few years ago."

Nathan frowned. "Bullshit. Why wouldn't he tell us?"

"Apparently, he didn't want to worry us. He didn't want us to feel obligated to visit him."

Brooke bit her lips as the lump in her throat grew. "Who knew he had a heart after all."

As the three young adults sat in Dan Scott's kitchen, all could not help but wonder about the man they'd never really known.

--

She could hear the rain drumming against the house gutters and windowpanes, and her bedroom was certainly dreary from the gray of the outside reflecting. Yet, as she reached a hand over to run her fingers over Jake Jagielski's newly shaved skin, she felt shivers go up her spine for an entirely different reason.

This was probably one of the first time he'd really slept in years, so she allowed him to in peace, only touching him when she could not quite help herself; sometimes only to see if he was really there.

She wasn't sure what would happen between them, or if anything ever would. History had a way of pushing someone back into your life just so it could rip them away again. But for some reason, she did not care. Because every time she opened her eyes and found him laying in front of her, at such ease just being near her, she felt her heart flutter in a way no one had ever made it flutter before. Except of course, him.

As she pulled her hand away, she rolled over from her side to her back, looking up at the bare ceiling of her bedroom. She closed her eyes and tried for a moment to pretend that she was a teenager, but found she could not remember the feeling.

Finally bringing herself to look outside the window, she sighed as Dave's house came into eyeshot.

She had to do the right thing, or she knew karma would certainly come back for her.

With one last look towards Jake, she slipped silently out the door.

--

Soon after leaving her house did she realize that it had not been a smart idea not bringing a jacket, but she was already halfway up his lawn, and she knew that the part of her telling to return home was the part of her that was a chicken.

She knocked several times before she finally heard footsteps coming, and when he finally opened the door, he looked very tired, and not exactly pleased to see her there.

"Can I come in?" She managed to sputter out, her mouth nearly full with the water that was pouring from the skies.

"Oh, what, after I asked you to marry me and haven't seen you for days since because some guy you used to be in love with showed up? Sure, why not," he deadpanned, but pulled the door wide enough to let her inside anyway.

She bit her lip. "Okay, I deserved that. But me and Jake - we're not together."

"Yeah," he laughed bitterly. "Not yet. But what do you give it? A week? Maybe two?" She had no reply to this one, and he sighed. "Let me get you a towel."

She stood awkwardly in his living room, which was very similarly designed to hers, until he returned moments later with a large towel, which he helped wrap around her.

Peyton offered him a smile, and when he did not return it, she sighed. "Okay, here's the deal. I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry, Dave."

"Well thanks, because that really solves… nothing at all."

"I know," She dropped her head in guilt. "Look, I can't explain it to you-"

"Well, go ahead and try. This ought' a be good." He leaned against his plain, cream-colored sofa, and she wrapped the towel tighter around herself.

"I've known Jake for… pretty much my entire life. And he's always been really sensible and nice, and-"

"Yeah, and he had a daughter, and you fell in love, and then he had to leave to go look for her. I _get_ it." And he was giving her a look that told her he didn't quite care either, and she didn't exactly blame him.

She shook her head. "Okay, but you really _don't_ get it. I've had a hard life, okay? And I'm not just saying that. And I know it sounds stupid that I actually _am_ saying it. Even to me. But there's only been one person in my entire life that has - even when I feel like I'm going to _die_ because life's so hard, or even if I'm in the _worst_ possible situation ever - the ability to make me feel safe. And truthfully, when I was seventeen years old, he promised me he'd come back for me eventually… and I've spent every day since then waiting. Even if I didn't know it."

"That's a pretty good reason, I guess," Dave admitted, eyes lowering. "But I'm still mad! I mean, I'm - my heart is completely shattered right now. You have to understand that."

"I do, I do," She reached for his hand and he flinched slightly as if her touch burned him. "But listen, you're one of the best friends I've ever had, and I don't want to lose you."

She could see the tears shining in his eyes as he fought not to make contact with hers. "Maybe. Maybe _eventually_. But right now, I'm just going to need to not be near you. Or see you."

Peyton nodded. "And that's okay. Well, I guess I'm going to go."

As her fingers touched the knob, she heard his voice, so low it was almost a whisper. "Nothing's really happened between you two, yet?"

She turned to look at him, making sure their eyes met as she said her next words. "I promise. I wouldn't have without talking to you first."

He bit his lip. She continued, "I hope someday you won't hate me."

"I hope so too."

--

Tears spilled from her eyes onto the white-tile floor, and Brooke grabbed the towel off of the rack nearest to her to muffle her sobs. She allowed them to rip through her similarly to a tidal wave crashing down against the water.

She hugged her knees close, and rocked herself slowly back and forth.

What would she do? Whatwould she do?

Before she could continue to hyper vent any longer, Brooke groaned softly, using all of her strength to grab the bathroom sink and pull herself up into a standing position.

She rubbed her eyes once more, and then reached down to grab the small, white, plastic object off of the counter.

Eyes watering with a fresh batch of tears, Brooke Davis-Scott looked down at the only test she'd ever hoped to fail with confusion and fear.

_What_ would she do?


	35. Oh, I Just Told The Biggest Lie

_**Author's Note: **_I know that a lot of you are upset (or don't really know how you feel) about the fact that Brooke's pregnant. And you guys, I _totally_ realize how cliché and overdramatic it is. But I've been planning that bomb since this story first came to my mind years ago, and trust me, **I have a plan**.

I also want to give a shout out to **TypoKween**. I'm sure most (if not all of you) have read her stories, and I have to say, her review for the last chapter made me rev up my little engine and start typing! Thank you for your review. Seriously.

And thanks to **all of you** for reviewing so religiously. Seriously guys, keep it up. You make me so happy and you don't even realize how much! Just by sending in a little review commenting on what you liked and didn't like. It's simple and yet so satisfying. Thanks!

Oh, and happy thanksgiving!

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty-Five: **_**Oh, I Just Told The Biggest Lie**

It was only after much debate - so much in fact, that Brooke could hardly see straight - that she decided to tell Lucas about the pregnancy test. Or, rather, about the _four_ pregnancy tests.

It was a hard thing to do; pretend to be happy about something that you couldn't even bring yourself to pretend to want. She didn't want a child coming into _this_ world. This terrible world that was the way it was because of all her own doing.

As she sat on the edge of her and Lucas' bed, ears straining to hear Lucas' familiar footsteps coming up the stairs, returning from work, she began to feel so terrified for the outcome of her child's life that she contemplated something she would never have before in her life contemplated. Could she get a…? Could she do it without Lucas knowing? Would she have to tell Nathan about it?

A voice in her head laughed darkly. _Stop trying to get yourself a better seat in hell. _

By the time she heard Lucas fumbling around downstairs - surely tugging off his tie, kicking off his shoes - she was shivering. Violent trembles took her over, and though she reached for the comforter, wrapping it tightly around herself, she could not stop herself.

The second he entered the room, Lucas noticed something was up. In mere moments, he was kneeling beside her on the bed, worriedly running his hands through her hair and over her face, and despite everything she wanted her body to do, she could _not_ stop shaking.

"You're sick, maybe you're sick," he said to her quietly, and she fought back tears and tried to cake on a smile, but found that instead, she felt bile rising in her throat.

Brooke could not even hold the words back, and before she know it, she was telling him, "I'm pregnant. It's - I'm pregnant. Four tests. All positive."

Lucas' eyes widened and he blinked several times before he pulled himself up to sit beside her. "You're sure?"

She sighed. "I don't know how four tests could _all_ come out positive if I'm not. Plus, I've been," she looked away from him, "_feeling_ the way I did before. The last time."

It took a while to sink in, but surely, just as she'd expected, it wasn't long before the grin on his face grew so wide, it reached nearly past his eyes.

"This is fantastic!" He was clearly ecstatic, and for a few minutes there, watching him talk excitedly and jump about, she stopped shaking and allowed herself to pretend that this was the first time she was pregnant, and nothing that had happened over the past year had ever happened.

"Things will be different this time." He assured her.

"I know," she ran her hands through his short, blonde locks slowly, forcing herself to smile. "I can't believe we're having a baby."

He pulled her fingers from his hair, and kissed each digit softly. "You're okay with this? You're ready?"

Maybe in his heart, he knew that this was not right. That this was not the same home that it had been months ago. She looked into his eyes and she knew that she would not break his heart with this. He meant _so_ much to her, that the truth didn't really matter.

She did not love him enough to have this child with him, but she loved him far too much to tell him that.

So, brave smile pasted on her pallid complexion, she said, "Yes."

--

"Brooke!" She could _feel_ her best friend beaming on the other end of the line, and it just made the whole situation _that_ much stranger for her. If there was one person that she would expect to see through her tone, it would have been Peyton. "That's so great!"

Now, she realized Peyton was going through some form of euphoria, what with Jake being home, but still, it took everything inside her to not scream in frustration right then and there. "Thanks. Yeah, we're - we're really happy."

"How far along are you?"

"I don't know. We just found out tonight. The only reason I called you was because… you're the only person I really planned on telling."

Peyton laughed. "Well, as much as I appreciate that… what about Nathan? I thought you three were like a unit now."

The situation was so ironic that she couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Yeah, we're actually going to tell him tonight. We're having dinner with him, so…"

"Things are going to be really great this time, Brooke," her friend parroted her husband's earlier words. "_Different_."

She wasn't sure how many more times she could hear words like these before it would start to sink in. Just exactly _how_ different things would be.

--

"Babe, you almost ready?" Sitting in a ball in the corner of their dark bathroom, Brooke would be lying if she told Lucas that she was anywhere _near_ ready for what was about to happen. But then, she'd been lying to him so much these days, adding one more to the pile couldn't hurt too much.

"Yeah, just give me a sec!" She called back.

Biting her lip, Brooke pulled herself up to a standing position, flicking on the light switch. As the bright, peach glare filled the room, she squinted her eyes, running her fingers over her pale skin, which she'd managed to bring color to using a simple pink powered blush.

"This is your fault," she told her reflection hardly, some form of hatred staring her straight in the eyes. "So just _deal_ with it. Suck it up."

"What was that?" Lucas' oblivious voice came through the doorway, and Brooke sighed.

"Nothing," she pulled the door open, running her fingers through her slightly messy hair. "I'm ready."

Her husband looked the happiest she'd seen him since his father's death. He looked excited. Ecstatic, really. "I can't wait to see what Nathan says when he finds out."

"Yeah, me too." She honestly wasn't sure how long this would last. She felt that at some point, it would come out. It was inevitable, and truth had a way of always revealing itself somehow. She wasn't sure how she would deal with it, but she was beginning to feel numb; she was beginning to leave her body behind.

--

Nathan pulled the door open with a lazy smile, cradling the phone with one shoulder, and using the other hand to hold up a single finger, signifying to Brooke and Lucas that he would be with them in a moment.

"..Yeah, mom. I know. I know. Well, if you ever need some company.. Okay. Well, Brooke and Lucas are here, so… I'll tell them. Love you too, bye." He clicked off the phone, and Lucas gave him a surprised smile.

"You and your mom are talking again?"

"Well, I mean, we were never _not_ talking. But I felt like I should call after Dan… you know."

Both his brother and sister-in-law nodded awkwardly. It had been less than a few weeks since Dan Scott had died, and still, the town felt a strange emptiness; like there was a presence lacking. When Nathan had visited Karen days afterwards, the woman had seemed slightly depressed, less brighter. He didn't even have to ask to know that the reason was Dan. His own uncle, possibly Dan's _worst_ enemy, had acted sullen at work just the night before. Nathan could not understand it, but even he himself was missing his father. Despite everything his dad had put him through over the years, he felt as if he really had cared somewhere deep inside. This was such an odd way to see him off; so unexpectedly.

"How is she?" Brooke found herself asking, remembering her moment with Deb at the funeral.

"She's okay," Nathan shrugged. "As good as can be, I guess. She's thinking she might move."

Lucas frowned. "Move where?"

"I don't know. Out of Tree Hill. She told me that after you lose someone like she lost my dad, it's hard to stay in the place where you once loved them. She said Tree Hill's been smothering her."

"I get it. This town can be kind of," she looked at Lucas and then back at Nathan, "suffocating sometimes."

If Lucas had heard her, had even _registered_ the words that had left her lips, he did not show it. "So, what'd you make for dinner, Nate?"

"Actually," the younger Scott brother laughed. "I ordered pizza."

Lucas shook his head. "Why am I not surprised? I knew it would be between pizza and Chinese."

"Chinese sounds so gross right now." Brooke let out, making a face.

Nathan made a face similar to hers. "What are you talking about? You love Chinese."

"I know, but right now it sounds disgusting," She laughed lightly and looked at Lucas who was grinning like an idiot; they both knew why the thought of Chinese food was disgusting to her.

Nathan, still confused, shrugged. "Alright, well let's sit down."

They all made a move to sit at Nathan's small living room table which he'd purchased only recently. She could tell he was hesitant, or that he knew something was up by his movements and the way he was biting his lips as he scooted his chair into the table. She'd memorized every move of both Scott brothers; she could read them both so easily.

During various points of the meal, Lucas would look over at her, give her a smile and continue eating. Almost every time, Nathan would catch this and throw her a look that said, _'what the hell is going _on_?'_

All she could do was bite the skin of her thumb, trying to ignore the wave of nausea that was choosing right _now_ as the moment to hit her. Hard.

Finally, after Nathan and Lucas had consumed the entire pizza, and she only a half a piece, Lucas reached over and squeezed her hand, and she dreaded the words that would leave his mouth next.

Nathan's eyes were focused on their locked hands, and when he lifted his eyes to meet hers, she could make out the sadness in them.

"Nate, we have some news.."

Her husband's brother gulped. "Ok-_ay_."

Lucas looked at her, expecting her to spontaneously combust with the gleeful words, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she found she could not. She simply waited for the oxygen to fill her lungs, mouth agape. Her husband looked confused for a moment, but finally turned to Nathan, ready to give the news himself.

"We're having a baby!" He laughed after he said it, probably slightly annoyed and surprised at his own enthusiasm.

Nathan's face drained of color, and for a few moments, he could not hide the horror on his face. Brooke stared at him with worried eyes, and when he finally sobered, the fakeness in his grin was so apparent she was surprised Lucas did not notice it as well.

"Whoa," was all he said, and then after a second, "congrats, you guys. That's really big."

Lucas began talking, too fast for her to comprehend - in fact, the _world_ was moving too fast for her to comprehend. All she knew was that she was looking in Nathan's eyes and she could see right through him.

He knew that the child was his.


	36. Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers

_**Author's Note: **_I seriously want to marry you guys. Each one of you. For leaving such kick-ass reviews. Keep it up! I usually start writing after I read a review. I don't know why, but even the upset ones are inspiring. Heh. Anyway, guess what? I just passed driver's ed! Yay!… Well, I thought it was exciting.

This chapter was really a struggle to write, but I think I like the final attempt. Hopefully you will too! Flashbacks are in _italics_.

---

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty-Six: **_Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers

_Swings swung back and forth with the weight of the children on them, sand was thrown and shifted and shaped, children screamed and laughed, and the unfortunate ones cried. _

_This was not for her. She'd decided the second her mother had shooed her and the new nanny off that she would try to make this a positive experience, and here she was, failing miserably._

_She was only five years old, and already, she was disgusted with this sight. Her dress was getting dustier by the __**second**__, not to mention the fact that her new shoes were wrinkled. Her hair, so tightly clipped back in French braids, felt suddenly __**too**__ tightly clipped back. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but it sure wasn't good._

_All of a sudden, out of nowhere, she felt herself being thrown down into the sand. What had pushed her down was some strange-looking leather ball and the second she hit the ground, she instinctively opened her mouth to cry. Even though it really hadn't hurt that badly. _

_The ball-thrower took a few steps towards her, face scrunched. "Uh… sorry about that." He said slowly, with that usual discomfort people felt when approaching someone they've just hurt in some way._

_Annoyed, she began to pick herself up. "Ouch." She spat, eyeing his matching blue shorts and tank-top. _

"_I said I was sorry." His wall began to come up, and he crossed his arms over his chest, now just wanting the girl to return his ball._

"_That doesn't really matter since you still did it, does it?" _

"_What?"_

_Both stared, chests going up and down rhythmically, hands placed strategically. _

"_My dress," she hadn't realized she was __**really**__ crying until that moment, "is ruined."_

_He couldn't lie. Her dress certainly did look ruined. The white - who wore __**white**__ to the park? - part was all kind of a gray-ish brown now, and the flowers looked more blotchy than anything else. Her hair was kind of coming out of its braids now, stray dark, wavy locks falling to her shoulders. But he still couldn't believe she was crying! He was feeling worse by the second._

"_I'm really sorry. Hey, you can get me dirty if you want!" _

_She frowned but looked up to meet his gaze, interested. "What do you mean?" _

"_Just - here, just splash some sand on me." He lowered himself to her level and picked some of the wet sand up from the sandbox, rubbing it on his shorts._

"_But I--"_

"_Come on!" He edged her on, rubbing some more of the dark brown sand into his thighs. He could feel the substance begin to seep through and he shifted uncomfortably._

"_Okay," she smiled unsurely, reaching down to do as he did. _

_The long-forgotten basketball nudged her leg and she pushed it away, giggling as the dark-haired boy began retaliating. He reached forward, pulling her hair from their constricting braids, and helping loosen them out, so her hair fell messily around her. Shyly, she chucked some more sand in his direction, and they remained that way for a while; shyly laughing and playing._

_Finally, when she was dirty from head to toe and rolling in the sand in hysterics, they heard a voice. _

"_Nathan! Nathan, it's getting late. I have work to do." _

_The boy beside her, apparently named Nathan, turned to look at his mother pleadingly. "Can't we stay a little longer, mom?"_

"_Aw, I'm sorry sweetie. But I have a lot of work to do." He sighed, seeming to deflate._

_She watched as he stood to leave, this charming boy with the strange, leather ball. _

"_Bye Nathan," she whispered softly, and he didn't even hear her as he got up to leave._

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but as Brooke turned to look at herself sideways in the mirror, bringing her shirt up just beneath her breasts, she could almost definitely see the slight curve in her stomach begin to form. Despite herself, and the situation in itself, she couldn't help but feel the corners of her lip tug up into a smile. Her fingers slithered up and down the warm skin, where somewhere deep underneath, a baby was growing; her baby.

Her smile dropped as the thoughts filled her mind. Was it ridiculous that she felt bad for feeling this way about the child? What seemed like forever ago, she'd had another child inside of her. This was not that same child, not even close. And though she was sure to love it equally, she felt robbed of the other baby. Like she and Lucas and even this child inside her would never get to know that other life.

And they wouldn't. But she was tired of feeling sorry for herself, of playing the victim in a situation she had no right playing the victim in.

It was time for her to get over everything that had gone wrong in her marriage. Time for her to change everything around. It was now summer; she could start over, and she would.

She could remember a discussion she'd had in high school years before, when a crazy, young teacher had started going off topic, and they'd fallen into the genre of love. He had given the group of students a prompt: Say you're happily married ten years from now, and you meet someone else who you are _sure_ will give you the most, passionate, intense love for the rest of your life. Do you leave your spouse? Brooke had been the first to raise her hand (a first for her), and she'd said proudly, "No. Once you're married, it's final. There's no going back on vows." Well, if High School Brooke were to look at Married Brooke's life, she'd certainly be disappointed.

Perhaps it was too late, though. She was already pregnant, already sure it was Nathan's child. They'd practiced unsafe sex several times, while she and Lucas hadn't even once. It was so stupid now; one of those things that made you hate yourself when you realized how dumb you'd been.

She wasn't sure if she regretted what had happened between her and Nathan, but she certainly regretted the circumstances they'd happened under. Months of lying and deceit, and her and Lucas' marriage would never again be the same.

The door was pushed open, and she smiled at the sight of her husband, dressed in a plain white t-shirt, red Nike shorts, and sneakers. "Hi sweetie," she smiled.

Things were slowly returning to normal for them. Well, things would never again be completely normal, but they were as good as could be in the situation. Lucas was ecstatic because of her pregnancy; it was honestly, for him, the best thing that could have happened in their marriage.

"Hey. I was just going to go to the gym for a couple of hours. I'm getting kind of out of shape." As he said this, she turned to look at him, smiling involuntarily.

"Yeah, you're _really_ out of shape." She rolled her eyes, laughing lightly as she said it. If Lucas went for more than one week without exercise, he complained he was gaining weight or losing suppleness.

"Will you be okay without me?" Lucas' eyes went straight to her stomach.

"I think I'll manage." Brooke teased.

He nodded, taking a few steps backwards. "I'm just going to run there, so if you need the car…"

She advanced towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning up to place a kiss on his lips. His eyes never left hers, and he squeezed her tightly. "I'll see you when you get back." She whispered, filling him with a sense of hope so deep, he was sure he'd skip to the gym.

The second the door closed behind her husband, the smile dropped from Brooke's face, and she fell backwards onto the bed. This was good; her not being selfish. Wasn't it?

--

_**This**__ was not how she'd expected the party to be. Her thinking was naïve, considering this __**was**__ a ninth grader's party, but still.. She hadn't expected them to have to play this stupid game. _

_Seven minutes in heaven? More like seven minutes of utter and complete hell. Not to mention the waiting was getting ridiculous. Could the bottle hurry up and land on her so she could just get it over with?_

_It was like someone in heaven had definitely heard her, because in a few seconds, the bottle slowly came to a halt in front of her. She gulped, her thirteen-year old self not quite ready for this moment. _

_When she looked up, her eyes widened at the person before her. An equally nervous and scrawny-looking Nathan Scott was looking just as freaked out as she was as he pulled himself to his feet. Peyton released an agitated sigh from beside her - she herself had been eyeing Nathan for weeks - and Brooke tried to ignore her as she followed in Nathan's footsteps towards the closet._

_The door closed mysteriously behind them and they were left only to each other and the darkness. _

_She'd grown up with Nathan Scott, but he still wasn't exactly someone she'd call a friend. Sure, they ran in the same circles and generally hung out with each other, but that was the extent of it. She felt weird being in__** here**__ with __**him**_

_At the middle school, he was popular and confident. Cocky even. He roamed the halls and flirted with girls and looked… well, really cute. Either way, he was usually kind of full in herself, and she generally didn't like that trait in boys. In here, he was quiet and she wasn't really sure, but it seemed like he was acting squeamish._

_She didn't realize until now that she'd been closing her eyes. Opening them slowly, she allowed them to adjust to the darkness before she sighed loudly. "So, are you going to kiss me or what?"_

_He grunted. "Yeah, it's just… where the hell are you? It's so dark in here, I can't even see." _

_She took a step forward and they were very close now. He held onto her arms and she squeezed her eyes shut once more, waiting. _

_When his lips did not reach hers in a few moments, she opened her eyes again, slightly annoyed. "You know, I've done this before, okay?" She lied. _

"_Yeah, okay, so have I." He was clearly lying as well. _

"_Okay, so then do it." _

"_**Alright**__. Get off my back for a second." _

_When he leaned down this time, their lips almost brushing, she pulled away. "Okay, I haven't done this before." _

"_Brooke-"_

"_I'm sorry! Just don't tell anyone, okay? We'll…" She trailed off, not really sure what to say to make the situation better._

"_I haven't done this before either." He admitted quietly. _

"_Well, maybe that's a good thing. Neither of us will judge, we'll just__**help**__ each other improve." _

_Nathan seemed to nod through the darkness. "Okay, good idea." _

"_Okay," she sighed. _

"_No one ever has to know that neither of us…" _

"_Exactly."_

"_Okay."_

"_Yeah."_

"_Okay, good."_

"_Yup."_

_He took a hesitant step towards her, pulling her closely and running his fingers through her hair. He couldn't help himself; it always looked so silky. Finally, after a few moments, he lowered his lips to hers._

_She'd never forget it. The shuffling as he lowered himself; the __**knowing**__. That soon his lips would be on hers and she knew it was coming. As his lips pressed into hers she felt confused and opened her mouth as the only way she felt she could respond._

_Their lips locked messily and it would probably take a long time for them to get the hang of it. Their chance was missed as the door burst open, cheering students on the other side. _

_Brooke and Nathan eyed each other, a secret forming between them. They would keep this between them forever, even if a situation presented itself where it'd be okay to talk about it; they just wouldn't. _

_She swallowed down the sparks from his lips with a bit of whiskey offered to her by an older person, and liked it so much that she continued to do so._

Nathan looked up at the large house with what could only be explained as a look. There were so many emotions running through him, even _he_ wasn't sure what he was conveying or even should convey.

He was really doing this. He was really going to walk in there and talk to her about this. Talking had never been easy for them; they were all about the passion and the laughter. When it came time to be serious, he found himself so insecure with Brooke that wasn't sure what to do with himself. She was the only person who'd ever understood him, and he wasn't even sure she knew it.

They hadn't been the closest friends in high school. But they'd respected each other, and there had been a bond neither of them could explain; they always wound up the same. The party would end, and they'd be the last ones there; it'd be game night, and they'd be the first ones there. He'd always cared for Brooke, even if she'd acted stupid or shallow, because he'd always known that they were two of a kind. They were the same.

Blindly, he pushed the large front door open.

"Brooke?" Nathan called out. He figured Lucas wouldn't be there. After all, the guy spent most of his time working or working _out_. This was really more of a blind hope, and he mentally scolded himself for not working out an excuse as to why he'd be visiting if Lucas_was_ there.

Her face appeared from atop the stairs, bare of makeup and still gorgeous as ever. "Hi," she spoke timidly. "Come up."

Her tone worried him. He absolutely hated it when he could not read her.

The walk up the stairs seemed to take years, and he felt himself begin to sweat as he reached her and Lucas' room. He pushed the door open, so unsure of himself, he was beginning to regret coming here in the first place.

Brooke sat on the bed, tears already filling her eyes. This would not be good; he was sure of that much. Either way this conversation could go, they needed to talk.

He shuffled in, dark eyes staring her down so that she felt obligated to speak.

"What are you doing here?"

Nathan laughed, shocked that these were the first words to leave her mouth. "Seriously?"

"Nathan--"

"This baby's mine, isn't it?" He said, blurting out the words he'd been planning to say after a long speech. It was funny in a way, because he could not remember a word of that speech now.

"We really don't know that, Nathan--" She started.

"Don't lie to me!" He felt himself begin to grow upset, hands clenching at his sides. "How many times did you and Lucas not use a condom?"

Whatever Brooke said was inaudible, and his patience was beginning to fail him. There was no way she would deny this fact to him. "I can't hear you. Speak up!" He demanded.

"Never! God, it's never happened, okay? Are you happy now?"

"Yeah, I'm really happy." He deadpanned, no humor evident in his face or voice or body language.

"Nathan, this is-- you can't be here, okay? You need to go home."

"Brooke," he shook his head. "We're having a baby."

"No, we're not!" She snapped. This was the reaction she'd hoped for the least, surprisingly.

"Brooke, come on--"

"Nathan," she begged with her eyes, feeling the moisture begin to build inside them. "Please don't do this. Not right now. I can't handle it."

"Run away with me." He couldn't believe the words as they left his mouth. This had not been his plan when he'd first decided to come over here. But it was like hearing her admit this had shifted something inside him.

She could not even reply, so stunned was she by this suggestion.

"Brooke," he advanced the bed, dropping to his knees and pulling her hands into his own, squeezing them softly. "Run away with me."

"Right," she laughed, "and where would we go?"

"It doesn't matter."

"And how would we live? What would we live off?" She demanded, leaning forward. This was a joke; there was no way this would ever work. She hadn't even let herself begin to consider this option, and she would not start now.

"We'll make it work." He insisted.

"No, no, no…" Brooke was shaking her head, and he could feel her slipping even farther out of his grasp.

"I could, I'll take care of us. I'll get a job, once we're out of here. I'll do anything we need to do, Brooke. I'll take care of everything--"

"No," she pushed him away, standing up. "Nathan, this is _crazy_! We can't run away!"

"I love you," he pleaded. "I love you, Brooke, and I _know_ you love me too! Please, we'll have this baby together somewhere else--"

"Nathan, stop it!" She screamed, emotion filling her voice, allowing it to raise a higher octave than she was used to. "You can't support us! You're having a hard time even supporting yourself!"

"I'll, I'll be better. I promise. We can make this work, Brooke. I can't_be_ here anymore and not be with you"

"Don't say that!" She cried, "don't say things like that to me! This was our mistake and now we have to move on." Brooke felt her knees begin to tremble. She was sure she would pass out at any moment.

"We aren't a mistake, and you know that." His voice lowered to a surprisingly calm level.

"This is bad," Brooke shook her head. "This is really bad. Do you realize what we've done?"

"So tell him!"

"I can't do that to him!" She was shaking, he was shaking, the room seemed to be shaking with their booming voices.

"Oh, but you could do this to me."

"Nathan--"

"Please. I'm going to ask you again. Just… just leave with me. We'll get out of here. We'll start over. We can still be happy, Brooke. We still have a chance."

As much as she wanted to believe him - hell, as much as she wanted to be happy… she couldn't do this anymore. She could not put her desires before other people; people she _loved_. She was subconsciously hurting everyone around her, and even if they didn't know it yet, they were sure to figure it out at some point.

"I can't, I'm sorry." She shrugged, tears streaming down her face, leaving dark trails of mascara as they went.

His eyes began to fill as well, and she wasn't sure she'd ever seen Nathan Scott looking so vulnerable before in his life. "Please," he said softly. "I want to be with you. I need you."

She shook her head, sniffling. "I just can't be this terrible person anymore. What we've done - I mean, do you realize the extent of everything we've done? If anyone ever finds out, our lives will be ruined."

Nathan snorted. "What lives? I don't even have a life, Brooke. I don't know if you've noticed."

"I can't bring this child into _this_ world, Nathan. I can't. I won't. Because this isn't even about me anymore. Everything has to be about this baby."

Tears began to slide down his own cheeks. He was having trouble breathing. "I, I understand that."

"We should have never done this." She sighed.

"I don't regret it. Not even a little bit." He told her. He didn't quite realize how hard he was making this for her; how much it was hurting her. Perhaps it was the same for her; she did not realize how much she was killing Nathan.

"I'm so, so sorry, Nathan."

"Well, that really fixes nothing so I think I'm gonna-"

Brooke grabbed his arms, shaking him. "No, please. Don't leave like this. Just listen to me! I can't keep hurting Lucas. He's been so good to me, Nathan. And he wants this baby more than anything in the world. I couldn't run away with you because I'd never forgive myself for leaving him behind. And if we were gone, he would not only have lost his wife _and_ his brother, but he would have always felt that betrayal for what we did to him, too. And I don't want to bring a child up on the run! And I don't want to alter everyone's lives drastically just so we can be happy. It's not right."

"You know what's not right? Pretending like this child belongs to Lucas when we both know it's mine."

She lowered her head in shame. "I know, but--"

"I mean, what are you going to do when Lucas sees this thing and notices that it has _none_ of his features? When it has _my_ eyes or lips. What will you do then?"

"I don't know, okay? I don't know! But--"

"And you think this is really being a morally good person? You're just lying even more.."

"You're right. There's absolutely no way out of this mess. But you know what? I need to do what I _feel_ is right. I've thought this over so much it's made me sick. I can deal with eternal suffering if it means that Lucas and this baby will be happy for the rest of my life. Right now, that's all that matters to me."

Nathan took a few steps backwards, nodding. "So I guess this is it for us."

"This is it." She whispered, suddenly fearing what her life would become without Nathan there beside her. He'd grown to become her best friend, the only person that knew all her secrets.

He pulled her close, bumping their foreheads together. Her arms laced tightly around his neck, and they stood crying together for not long enough. He wanted to grieve with her forever.

"Goodbye, Brooke."

"Bye Nathan."

She watched him leave and felt a chunk of her heart break. She felt another part of her body begin to become numb, and slowly and surely she was realizing just how much less and less she was beginning to feel _altogether_.

_Nathan sighed loudly, rubbing his hands over his eyes, then through his short hair. "Hey, can I get another beer?" _

_The bartender frowned but slid another one over to him. He caught it easily, chugging it backwards. He just didn't understand why Haley had to make such a big deal out of this; it wasn't like he'd had pictures of him and Peyton having __**sex**__ on the computer. Because while __**that**__ would be bad, he really didn't see a problem with this. _

_The sound of the chair beside him scraping backwards disturbed him from his thoughts, and he heard the vaguely familiar voice order a whiskey. Wait, that voice sounded a little more than vaguely familiar… it actually sounded exactly like--_

"_Brooke?" He said aloud, feeling slightly stupid afterwards when she cocked an eyebrow at him._

"_Yeah, hi, Nathan. Glad to see you've finally joined us." _

"_Sorry," he grumbled. "I was preoccupied." _

_She nodded. "Looks like it. I haven't seen you in one of these places in… oh, that's right, never. Shouldn't you be at some party I wasn't invited to?" _

_He scoffed, feeling light-headed suddenly. He'd had about five beers now. Or was it six? "Shouldn't __**you**__ be bringing psycho girls to this imaginary party you speak of and getting me thrown in jail?" _

"_Touché." She raised her arms in the air, then went to sip at her already empty drink. _

"_I'll get another," she ordered. "And give him another beer." _

"_Hey," Nathan slurred. "Isn't the __**guy**__ supposed to buy the girl the drink?" _

_She smirked. "Well, this isn't a date, so no rules apply." _

"_Right, because I'm dating Haley." He explained to the bartender who clearly had no interest in the situation whatsoever. _

"_Oh," Brooke chortled. "You're drunk! This is a nice change." _

"_I'm not drunk. I'm just proud of my relationship with Haley." He was sort of blabbing, and not even really making sense to himself. _

"_You are most definitely drunk. What's the matter? Trouble in paradise?" She pried, edging slightly closer to him._

"_We're fine, Brooke. Damn, put some ice on it." _

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Well, don't sound so excited about it." He frowned. _

_Brooke grinned. "So you __**are**__ fighting? What's the problem? Tutor Girl still won't put out?" _

_Nathan groaned. "God, she found some pictures of Peyton on my computer, okay?" _

"_Gross, Nate. I didn't know you were still into Peyton." He was surprised she was so comfortably speaking of the other girl. Didn't they hate each other? He mildly remembered seeing them laughing in practice earlier, but he guessed it hadn't really registered until that moment._

"_I'm not. They're old and Haley's a snoop." _

"_Like Snoop Dog?" She was getting drunk too. This should be interesting. _

"_No, Brooke! Not like Snoop Dog." _

"_Oh, so like Snoopy?" _

"_Stop. Hey, aren't you and Peyton not friends?" Way to throw it in there casually, Nate. Bonus points. _

_Brooke waved a hand, downing her third whiskey. "Whatever. I'm over drama." _

_He guffawed. "Okay, and __**I'm**__ quitting the team." _

"_I better be going. Speaking of Goldilocks, we actually have plans." She stood, checking her cell phone for the time. _

"_And you're showing up drunk?"_

"_You know," Brooke mock mused, "I __**think**__, in my drunken stupor, I'll mention your little porno stash of her."_

_He gasped. "You wouldn't!" _

"_Start being nicer, maybe I won't have to!" _

"_I'm sure Haley's told her anyway." He shrugged. _

"_Oh yeah, __**that's**__ a good conversation starter. 'So my boyfriend has naked pictures of you on his computer. Cool, huh?' Get real, Nathan." _

_He laughed. "Okay, I can't deal with this right now. Bye, Brooke."_

_She began to walk away, then stopped, slowly retreating. "Look, I'm not… I'm not like, a fan of Haley or whatever, but," she sighed, "but I think that she's probably insecure about your relationship, considering who you are and who she is." _

"_That's crazy," he pinched his face. "She's amazing."_

_Brooke nodded. "Maybe, but you're experienced and Greek-God like and you intimidate her. She just needs to know that you want her back, that you need her.." _

"_I do!"_

"_So show her. Every girl just wants someone that'll want them back, Nate." And she began to walk away, stopped this time by the sound of Nathan's voice. _

"_I'm sorry about the thing with Lucas." _

"_I'm over it." She shrugged._

"_Yeah, but it's his loss, anyway. He'll realize it sooner or later." Nathan offered a smile, and she smiled back. _

"_Well, I'll be seeing you." _

"_I guess so." _

_She left and he couldn't help but smile softly. Brooke Davis was one of his oldest friends, and though they weren't all that close, he knew that she'd always be there. _

_They'd always be the two left behind at the bar, while everyone moved on around them. _


	37. You're a Wolf, Boy, Get Out of This Town

_**Author's Note: **_I have to say, you guys are the best reviewers I've ever gotten. So many of you take the time to actually _write_ what bothers you and what you like, and it really means a lot to me. I'm hoping you're all satisfied with what happens next, and throughout the rest of the story. I've had it all planned out for, what, years now, and it's all finally starting to take shape.

Keep reviewing like you do, because it seriously makes me feel so beyond euphoric, I can't even explain it.

* * *

_**Movie Script Ending **_

_**Chapter Thirty-Seven: You're a Wolf, Boy, Get Out of This Town**_

She lay stretched out on Peyton's bed, eyes trained on the blue walls, wanting so badly to simply disappear into them. How nice it must be to be in oblivion, to not have a care in the world. She laughed lightly at the thought, for possibly the first time in days, and Peyton turned to look at her with an amused smile.

"Are you high? Brooke, you know you're not supposed to do that when you're pregnant, right?"

As if she did not hear her friend, Brooke's eyes remained on the azure color, and she spoke softly. "Wouldn't it be nice to be nothing? To just be the blue on someone's walls?"

Peyton made a face. "That's an unusually dark thought."

"Well," she met her friend's eyes slowly, "you're an artist. You don't want to be the paint, you want to be the one painting."

She wasn't sure where her friend was going with this, but if it was any insight on what was currently going through Brooke's mind, Peyton would take it. "And what about you? What would you want to do?"

Brooke shrugged, her eyes suddenly clouding over, and her loose body turning stiff. "I'd just let go."

As much as Peyton wanted to dive deeper in, she could tell the moment had passed. Brooke had once again propped herself up, her eyes scanning the pages of a magazine on parenting. The blonde turned back towards her full-length mirror, once again set on the task of applying her makeup.

"So how's life at home?" She asked.

Brooke scoffed. "I should be asking _you_ that, missy. How's life with _Jaaake_?" She enunciated the word so that Peyton couldn't help the fluttering that commenced in her stomach.

"We're… taking it slow." Peyton said carefully.

Brooke groaned. "You guys are _always_ taking it slow."

"Slow works for us. Fast -- well, I don't really know who fast works for, ultimately."

"True, but, does this mean that Dave is definitely out of the picture?"

Peyton hesitated. "I still want to be his friend…"

"But you love Jake." Brooke nodded, so sure of herself. This must be what it like for her and Lucas, Peyton realized, it must be so simple, so obvious.

Peyton turned to look at Brooke, biting her lip. "As _much_ as I care about Dave, it was honestly like… right as soon as Jake walked through that door, everything felt so much _better._You know? Like, I knew everything would be okay and my life would be set with him. I've always known he was the one, and I don't think I ever let myself let go of that."

Brooke was sitting up now, magazine in her lap, eyes sparkling. "I understand that. It's good that it was so easy for you. To you know, pick Jake."

"He's always been _it_ for me. Like Lucas for you."

"Oh, yeah. Right, of course." Brooke cleared her throat, laying slowly back down.

Peyton sighed, hoping for words to fill her mind. Something was strange with Brooke, but she wouldn't push it. Maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones. Satisfied with this answer, Peyton smiled. And suddenly something struck in her brain.

"Oh my God, I've got gossip." She said guiltily, chuckling slightly at her own words.

"Good, I _need _some gossip." Brooke clapped her hands together.

"Okay, rumor all over town has it that Haley," Peyton paused dramatically. "…got married."

The darker-haired of the two shot up, a gasp leaving her lips. "What? To who? When?"

"I have _no_ idea. All I know is that everyone around town says that Haley's gotten married… and everyone's waiting to see what Nathan does about it."

---

Brooke burst through the door, ripping off her thin sweater and tossing it onto the stairs as she stormed up to her and Lucas' room.

He was sitting on the bed reading a newspaper when she walked in, legs spread out before him and reading glasses -- newly acquired months ago -- over his eyes.

"You," she said, waving her arms, "are _not_ going to believe what I just heard."

---

The phone rang once, twice, and then three times.

Nathan, face down in his bed, was desperately trying to ignore it, to fall back asleep. The past couple of weeks, he'd become something of a recluse. After his final conversation with Brooke, he'd sunk so deep into depression, he didn't think he'd ever find a way out. This was really bad. Worse than when Haley had left him years ago. Except for that now, instead of rebelling against everything and becoming a generally all-around asshole, he was forcing himself to stay mature; to simply let the world continue on without him.

The phone continued to ring, and Nathan scratched an itch on his bare back, still doing everything in his power to pretend the ringing wasn't happening. Whoever was calling should have gotten the message by now - Nathan was screening_ everyone_, and would not stop for any reason.

Finally, the answering machine clicked on, and the person on the other end sighed loudly. It was Lucas. "Nate, I've been trying to call you for days. Where the hell are you?"

"Leave me alone!" He groaned to his victor, sinking deeper into his pillow.

"That's a stupid question. I know where you are. You're right there in bed, listening to this, telling me to go away."

Nathan sighed, but couldn't help to add in a sarcastic, "You know me so well, Luke."

"I know you're making _some_ sarcastic remark. Whatever, man. Just listen… I have something_really, really_ important I need to tell you, so…"

His curiosity was beginning to get the best of him. Nathan lifted his head from his pillow, eyeing the answering machine as it spoke to him. Finally, he began to lift himself, groaning with the weight of his own body.

He shuffled over towards the phone, shivering slightly. He was dressed in just sweatpants and the bed was a lot warmer than the room itself.

"What, man? I was sleeping." He answered in a slightly groggy tone.

"There you are! Where the fuck have you been?"

"Sleeping. Now what's this important thing you need to tell me?"

Lucas seemed annoyed. "So you only answered because I need to tell you something? Nice."

"Dude, I'm really not in the mood for all this, so if you could just tell me, I can go back to sleep, and we'll all be happy." He didn't know why, but he was hoping it was something about Brooke. He needed to hear something about her. To see how she was doing, how the baby was doing.

"What's wrong, Nathan?" His brother's voice sounded so genuinely concerned that Nathan felt his heart melt. Damn Lucas for being such a sensitive person.

"I'm just kind of sick. My allergies are killing me too. Sorry, man." He sniffled for effect.

"That's alright. It's just, if you're sick, this is probably going to piss you off even more than it normally would."

"Great, shoot." He clenched his fist.

Lucas hesitated. "Just… try not to do anything too crazy like paint your apartment pink, or decide to become a clown as a profession when I tell you this, okay?"

So this was about Haley. Nathan's jaw clenched. "Luke, I'm running out of patience here."

"There's some rumors going around town that Haley's married."

---

He didn't believe it.

He wasn't sure exactly why. All he knew was that there was no way in_hell_ Haley had gotten married. This was just so far from something she would ever, ever do. The only reason she'd even married him was because they'd really been in love, and he'd convinced her. Would she make that same mistake again?

As his car turned the corner of Karen's café, he looked for a parking spot, all the while also trying to see if Haley was inside.

He parked, exited, and tried his hardest to look casual as he neared the café, though he felt his palms begin to sweat. He didn't love Haley anymore, but he certainly didn't want her _married_ to someone else.

She was the first thing he saw when he entered, with her hair braided loosely and a gold and diamond ring shining on her left ring finger. He sighed.

"Haley," he sort of coughed as he said it, hands burning holes through his pockets.

"Nathan," she frowned, surprised. He was sure she had some sort of idea as to why he was here. "What are you doing here? You look terrible." This he did not doubt. He had barely managed to jump into the shower before leaving, and his face had grown a nice little beard he had not cared enough to shave. Bags were still firmly in place underneath his eyes, and he knew he looked sadder than a homeless puppy.

"You're married?" He laughed humorlessly.

"I wanted to tell you myself.." She bit her lip, trailing off and looking anywhere but at him.

"I can't believe this. I practically had to force you to marry me, but not even a year after we get _divorced_, you get re-married? I'm assuming by choice.."

She scratched her head. "Nathan--"

"Everyone's talking about it, did you know?"

"I'm well aware, Nathan." She was getting upset now, and he found that he didn't really care. Maybe all this anger was coming from a different place; from Brooke perhaps. Either way, he didn't care. He was having a bad year, and Haley getting married wasn't making it any better.

"So who is this guy? Is he from Tree Hill?"

"You don't know him." She shrugged.

Nathan's jaw dropped. "It's Chris, isn't it? You married Chris fucking Keller."

"Yeah," Haley rolled her eyes sarcastically. "I married Chris Keller. Grow up, Nathan! This isn't high school. His name is Peter."

"Peter?" he winced. "I can actually see you being married to a Peter."

"Is that some sort of subtle dig? I don't understand you, Nathan! We're not married anymore. We're not even friends. You have no right to come in here, and dictate how I should live my life. I'm happy! Silly me, I guess I thought maybe you'd be happy for me, especially knowing how unhappy I was when we were together."

It made perfect sense. Hearing her say this seemed to make all the difference. As Nathan watched Haley stand before him, eyes watering and chest moving up and down rapidly, he felt himself let her go. He felt his closure of their relationship, so long and deep and painful, slip away.

"It wasn't a dig," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I had no right to come in here and bother you like this."

Haley seemed to soften. "No, it's… I guess I can understand. If I heard you were married, I'd probably be pretty upset."

"The difference is, you'd be too nice to actually confront me." They both laughed quietly, and he noticed now that she'd colored her hair. It was a more honey-colored brown, lighter. She looked happy, there was a faint pink in her cheeks.

"So, kind of hasty?"

"I guess, but I've always kind of been like that, haven't I?"

He bit his lip. "I guess. Look, I should probably go. Leave you to your work, and all.."

Haley nodded.

He began to walk away, stopping when he heard her voice once more. "You didn't force me to marry you, by the way. I hope you know that."

Nathan smiled at her, leaving the café.

He wasn't sure why, but this Haley encounter had lifted a weight from his shoulders. She'd lifted this burden that had pushed him down until he was on his knees, crawling through life.

Perhaps Brooke did not want to be with him, and Haley was married, and the whole world would move on without him. But it was time he let go of everything.

It was time Nathan Scott took control of his own life, and moved on.


	38. Time Won't Let Me Go

_**Author's Note: **_I'm so excited to post this that I'm not even going to look it over, so I hope there aren't too many mistakes. I'm so, so, _so_ sorry I haven't updated in forever, but you guys have been amazing, and believe it or not, this season is a lot more inspiring than I thought it would be. I still love this story, and I'm hoping to get more writing done, so enjoy! Oh, and review! Love you guys!

* * *

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Time Won't Let Me Go **_

"Nate… Nathan!"

He snapped his head up from his sketch pad, quickly lifting his eyes to his uncle. Balanced awkwardly atop a pile of tires, with one foot leaning against a cherry red '67 mustang he was working on, he figured he must have looked pretty stupid with his head buried in a sketch pad.

"Sorry, Keith," he chuckled softly. "Were you calling me for long?"

"No, I… just a couple sec…" Keith trailed off, waving his hand distractedly as he tried to get a look at what Nathan was working on.

Frowning in an amused manner, Nathan moved his hand so his uncle would not have to lean on one foot with his head at a strange angle as he was currently doing.

Keith laughed. "Sorry. I didn't know that you liked to draw."

"What? Oh, I don't, really. This is just some sketch I've been working on for a couple years. Of an apartment complex I'm trying to get built. I've been getting a bunch of new ideas lately, so I'm trying to get them all down on paper before I forget."

"Wow," Keith squinted, trying to get a better look at the faintly penciled lines, and couldn't help but nod in approval. "This is really good, Nathan. I didn't know you were this good."

"Eh, I'm not," Nathan blushed, staring down at his shoes. He felt a low sense of pride sinking into him; a complement from Keith to him was a great one, because it was always an honest one.

"So, where's all this inspiration coming from?"

The smile began to fall from his face, and Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'm finally beginning to focus on what's important."

---

"Open your eyes."

Try as she might, she could not. Everything was too perfect right now, and Peyton Sawyer felt that the simple task of opening her eyes could ruin this. Instead, she murmured a groan in response.

"Peyton," the voice laughed. "Peyton, come on."

Frowning slightly, she dared open one, crinkling her nose when it landed on Jake's amused smile.

"You're such a cute sleeper." He told her, eyes running slowly over her.

Okay, she was up.

This whole 'friends' thing between them was kind of starting to get to her. As much as she wanted to take things slowly, she found that, like always, it was almost impossible to do this with Jake actually there beside her.

Tree Hill sunlight shone into the room so sweetly that she had to say, the best part of this town was the weather. Most days, at least. Always just sunny enough when she wanted it to be, and always gloomy when she felt she needed the world to be just as down as she was.

With Jake beside her, propped up by his elbow and hand, she closed her eyes and felt like she was in high school again.

She opened them again, and Jake was still beside her. She could not even count the number of times she'd found herself in a situation like this, but when she'd open her eyes, he'd have been an illusion, all in her mind.

She reached a hand out, softly touching his face. He was so _real_. And she was so afraid she'd lose him again.

As if he sensed this was what she was feeling, he brought his own palm to hers, stroking her thumb softly.

"Jake.." she began, but she didn't know what she wanted to say. It began to dawn on her then that she didn't want to say _anything_. She just wanted to lay there with him.

This was enough for her.

---

"_Brooke," Lucas sighed loudly. "I think we still have time before we do this. I mean, we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet!" _

_Brooke laughed, her hand clutching Lucas' as she walked them towards the Baby Gap. "Yes, but Lucas, green and yellow are _so_in! Our baby is being born during the perfect time." _

"_Won't it still be the perfect time when your stomach actually protrudes?" Judging by the quality of people at this outdoor-mall area, Lucas could tell he was easily going to be spending half of his salary just on baby clothes. _

"_Uh-huh! We can come back then too." She giggled at his expression. "Come on, Luke. Don't you want us to have the most stylish kid around?"_

_He couldn't help himself; he grinned. They were having a _baby_! And hell, if he had anything to do with it, this child was going to get everything he or she wanted. Lucas kissed Brooke's head as she led him into the store. _

_Fifteen minutes later, they were both carrying armfuls of clothing. _

_Lucas pulled a random tiny, green scarf off of a shelf, glancing only for a moment at the price, which was $29.50. "Brooke! How about this?"_

"_Ooh, how cute! What about these?" She barely managed to hold up a large stack of colorful t-shirts, each with cute little phrases on the front. _

"_Perfect!"_

_A salesperson approached them timidly. "Um, can I put all that on the counter for you two while you look?"_

_Brooke dumped the load into the taller girl's hands. "Thank you so much. Luke, let's go look at shoes!" _

_He found that he was giddily following her, and realized he'd never really been _giddy_ before in his life. Well, not with anyone but Brooke. _

-

It pained her to see the room like this. Once, it had been her greatest project. She'd painted the walls with only a little help from Haley, she'd decorated accordingly. She and Lucas had spent hours sorting through baby clothes and random baby objects and toys they'd purchased.

Now, the room was covered in a thin veil of dust, all of her baby's toys and clothes having gone by the wayside, forever unused.

She approached the crib with tears in her eyes. Once, she had sat beside it all night long, knowing that in a few months, she'd have a baby inside it to sing to sleep and love and adore.

That seemed like so long ago now.

She dropped to her knees beside a bag clearly marked 'Baby Gap', sniffling and coughing as she pulled it open. Surprised to find it had not all been eaten by moths, she pulled out shirt after shirt, article of clothing after article of clothing, allowing herself to mourn her unborn baby one last time.

---

"Yeah, she hooked up with some other dude. I'm so pissed…" Jake and Peyton found themselves holding back bouts of laughter as they watched the _True Life: My life as a serial dater _on MTV. Finally, when the guy began picking up on other women at a nightclub, using the lamest pick-up lines, the two, unable to control themselves, exploded with laughter.

Peyton sighed loudly after a moment, realizing she and Jake had unconsciously moved closer to each other. "This guy's voice is so annoying," she lowered the volume until it couldn't be heard at all, and they sat watching in silence for a few moments.

Finally, he turned to her. "It's a beautiful day. Seems like a waste spending inside, don't you think?"

She nodded. "How about we go for a walk?"

---

He could hear her sobbing from his office.

Lucas frowned when he could no longer stomach the muffled cries. "Dean, I'm really sorry, I'm going to have to call you back with those numbers…Okay, bye."

He took the steps two at a time, biting his lip when he realized she was inside the nursery. He'd found it impossible to come inside here since she'd lost the baby, and even now he was hesitating. He didn't want to remember. He wanted all the memories from that time to stay locked in the part of his head he'd never visit for the rest of his life.

Knowing he needed to be strong for Brooke, Lucas took a breath and pushed open the door, fighting nostalgia as he looked through the dust for her.

-

"_Wouldn't it be cool if we painted like, little basketballs around the frame?"_

"_Um, no." Both Haley and Brooke were looking at him like he was crazy, and he wished he had Nathan in here to back him up. Only problem was, it seemed Haley and Nathan had been fighting like crazy these days. And when one was over, the other was no where near sight. He wasn't sure what was going on with his brother and sister-in-law, but he was sure they'd work it out eventually._

"_What if you have a girl?" Haley added, shaking her head. _

"_Girls like basketball too!" _

"_Please," Brooke scoffed. "If we have a girl, she'll be a cheerleader, not a basketball player." _

_He winced. "She'll only be a cheerleader if the cheerleading outfits look more like… snowsuits." _

_Haley laughed. "_That's_ sure to inspire the boys." _

_Lucas couldn't help but chuckle as well. After all, it _was_ true. Nothing had fired him up quite like Brooke shaking her little pom-poms at him. The thought of his _own_ daughter doing the same made his smile quickly transform into a frown._

_Brooke sighed. "So, ignoring Lucas' request, I think we should paint the walls yellow. It's a good color for _any_ baby, boy or girl." _

"_I agree," Haley nodded. "We could even paint a few characters along the walls, or maybe some plants or butterflies or something. Give it an _Alice in Wonderland _type of theme?" _

"_Oh, good idea!" Brooke clapped her hands together. _

"_What?" Lucas gaped. "No. No basketballs but we're going to risk an _Alice in Wonderland_ theme? I don't think so. No son of mine is having _that_ on his walls." _

_His sister-in-law rolled her eyes. "Relax, you baby. Jeez. We're just going to make the room look _kind of _like a storybook. Nothing too exciting. It's not like we're going to paint a picture of Alice saying--" she was cut off by her own phone ringing, and Lucas could tell by the look on her face that it was Nathan calling. "I'll be right back." _

_He shook his head, watching her go. "Despite _her_, this is actually pretty fun." _

"_Isn't it?" She jumped up, her belly swelling only slightly beneath her thin, cotton, orange tank-top._

_She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on his nose. "I can't wait to have a baby with you, Lucas Scott." _

"_Well, that's good," he smiled. "Because I can't wait to have a baby with you, Brooke Davis-Scott." _

_They both winced at the sounds of Haley shouting from downstairs. _

_Brooke nuzzled her nose against his. "Promise me we'll _never_ be like that." _

"_I don't think I have to. You and me… we're just something else." For him, there were no truer words. Him and Brooke were a whole league of their own. Never seriously fighting, still in love after high school and college and no one thinking it could ever work out. Even now, he felt butterflies when he was with her, like they were still in the early stages of their love._

_She turned her head to the side, contemplating. "Something else," she repeated. "I like that. That's totally us." _

"_Now," he kissed her forehead, still holding her tightly. "About this room." _

_Brooke sighed. "One basketball." _

"_Really?!"_

"_A small one." _

_They looked around the room, locked together in an embrace. Yes, Lucas thought, this was exactly what he wanted and where he wanted to be, and who he wanted to be with. _

---

"I love this park," Peyton told Jake as they swung back and forth on the swings, both their legs a little too long for it to be really comfortable. "My mom always brought me here when I was little."

"Really?" Jake was looking around at the rusty monkey bars, the barely sand filled sandbox, the green grass all around. "I thought everyone from Tree Hill went to that park down by the high school. I don't think I've ever been here."

"This was my mom's favorite. It wasn't falling apart quite so badly back then, and we liked that it was just us. Dad would be at work, and mom and I would pretend this was like, our secret hiding place from the rest of the world. And in a way, it was. No one else ever came here."

There was a contemplative silence as Peyton balanced atop the swing, her curly head leaning against the chains holding it up. Jake was the first to speak. "I wish I could have met your mom."

"Me too." She didn't know why, but her eyes suddenly felt wet. What would her mother be doing right now if she were here? She'd missed out on all of Peyton's teenage years, all of her boyfriends, all of her growing up. She missed her mother so much, but in many ways, she was beginning to forget her.

Jake reached for her hand, and she held it tightly in her own.

---

"I'm sorry," was the first thing Brooke said to him, coughing loudly and covering her mouth to stifle her sob. "I don't know why I came in here."

Lucas swallowed, taking uneasy steps towards her until he was next to her. He lowered himself down so that they were sitting side by side. He sat with one hand holding the other's wrist and his trademark brooding expression on his face.

"I always think of the other baby." He admitted after a moment.

"Do you ever come in here?" She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with such grief a chill went up his spine.

He shook his head. "It's too hard. Seeing all this stuff. Remembering how happy we were. How much we were looking forward to having a child."

"It just… it feels like it'll be too hard for us to get back to that, you know? To that same happiness."

He nodded. "It already doesn't feel the same."

"A lot of mistakes have been made," she added, somewhat guiltily.

"We'll make it work," he promised, "remember? We're something else."

"Something else." She repeated, and then laughed lightly. Her laughter echoed off the walls as it grew louder, and before either of them knew it, she was crying again, delicate sobs sounding from her small frame.

Lucas took his wife in his arms and held her close, looking around at the remnants of what they'd been before.

-

_They lay sprawled in bed, Lucas' head level with Brooke's stomach, rubbing it softly. _

"_You're so pregnant." He said dumbly, and she laughed, shoving him lightly._

"_Really? I hadn't noticed." _

"_Well, pregnancy has made _you_ quite the comedian." _

_She wiggled suggestively. "Well, it's definitely made me sexier. I have to say, I'm probably hands down the sexiest pregnant woman on Earth." _

"_What I love," he said, propping himself up onto his forearms, "is that it hasn't changed you at all. Still so down-to-earth, _so_ grounded." _

_Brooke made a face. "Oh shut up, I'm kidding." _

"_Nicer, too!"_

"_Enough of your sarcasm, mister." She managed to sit up, just to pull him down for a kiss._

"_Hey, hey," he said softly. "Be careful. We don't want you to put any strain on yourself." _

"_Oh Lucas, I'm fine," she grumbled. "I'm so sick of this bed rest thing. You know me, I always have to be running around. I feel so…useless." _

"_Considering you're currently housing another human being _inside_ yourself, I'd say that's the exact opposite of what you are." _

_She didn't look convinced. Her eyes went to the stack of magazines on her bedside table, and then at all the dirty dishes that had accumulated around the room. "Ugh, at least let me do some cleaning up." _

"_Nope! I'm doing all that the second I get back from work. Hey… how about, how about I don't go to work? I feel bad just leaving you here. We can watch some movies, just hang out.." _

_Brooke shook her head. "No. No way. I'm not keeping you from work. I know that's the one place where you can escape from your crazy, hormonal wife." _

"_As a matter of fact," he smirked. "I love my crazy, hormonal wife."_

"_And she loves you too, but you have to go." _

_He stood worriedly, re-adjusting his tie. "Okay, but if you need_anything_, call me. And if by some crazy chance I don't answer, call Haley. Or Nathan. Or even--" _

"_Lucas! I'll be fine. Go, sweetie." _

_He lingered at the door for a moment, turning to look at her. Hair fanned out on a pillow, gleaming happily with pregnancy, pale skin glowing, she looked gorgeous. "You know, you really are the sexiest pregnant woman on Earth." _

"_Get out!" She giggled, and he shook his head as he left._

"_Love you!"_

"_Love you too!"_

_It was the last normal morning of their lives, and he wouldn't even realize it until later when he'd see her flat stomach and broken eyes. _

---

They walked home holding hands, talking about random things and not-so-random things, and by the time they'd reached home, Peyton had long-since realized she was completely, head over heels in love with Jake Jagielski. Again. Or perhaps she'd never stopped in the first place.

He pushed the door open, and she closed it behind them.

"I feel like pizza for dinner. You?" He asked as he sat on the armchair in the living room, pulling off his shoes. He looked so at home, and she realized that in a way, he was. He'd told her once home was where she was, and… here she was.

"Pizza sounds perfect."

He made a face at her. "You said that strangely poetically. Something up?" He chuckled.

"No," she said casually, heading into the kitchen to grab a soda. "Get everything on that pizza."

"Alright." He said as he dialed.

She knew now that perhaps it would take a while, or maybe no time at all. It could be hours or days or weeks. But she and Jake Jagielski would be together, possibly for the rest of their lives. He knew it and she knew it, and it was just a matter of time before they admitted it to each other.


	39. I Did All My Best To Smile

_**Author's Note: **_I've had the majority of this chapter written for a while, but it was hard to get the end of it complete. I'm not sure if I got the idea I wanted to get out accomplished, but overall, I like this chapter a lot.

I want to say that you guys are so amazing with the reviews. I am completely overwhelmed at what you say and I hope you know how you can really make my day better. Each individual review makes me smile.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to a few people. **Amber** for one, who pretty much inspired most of it by cheering me on. And**Allison**, who helped me become a _little_ less uneducated about pregnancy.

PS: For those of you who will be confused by this chapter, some time has passed since the end of the last one.

* * *

_**Movie Script Ending  
**_

_**Chapter Thirty-nine: I Did All My Best To Smile **_

(here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you)

A cool breeze blew softly over the North Carolina town, reminding anyone who was awake that winter still hadn't ended, that it would still be dark before five, and that there was always the slight possibility your windshield would be frozen when you got up for work in the morning.

Children stood with chapped lips and large parkas waiting for the bus, feet shuffling and teeth chattering. People who were fortunate enough to own cars remained in them long after they were due in the office, or the late bell had rung, preferring the warmth of their car to the icy cold air.

On the large, tree-lined neighborhood streets, heaters were left on twenty-four seven, and wives who did not work remained happily indoors, waving their cheating husbands off with large smiles.

Some Christmas decorations remained, some New Year party favors were still scattered around lawns, telling stories their owners never would.

At one particular house, known for being the home of a beautiful young couple, soon to be parents though most could admit they'd never expected it to last, a new, pale blue Audi that was sure to be worth a small fortune was pulling into the driveway.

Lucas Scott stepped out of his new car, a gift to himself after a big company success, pulling his scarf tightly around his neck. He shivered, looking around at his quiet neighborhood.

From upstairs, Brooke Davis-Scott stood looking out the window of her bedroom, one hand resting against her heavily protruding stomach, the other cradling a phone to her ear.

"Lucas is here," She sighed to Peyton Sawyer, who was whispering all her responses, hoping not to wake her own sleeping boyfriend.

"Finally," Peyton said, and then lowered her voice to an almost inaudible whisper. "You've really been missing him, huh?"

The truth was, Brooke had really been enjoying this time alone. Since she'd gotten pregnant, Lucas had been constantly there, waiting on her hand and foot. It was like his guilt from what had happened the last time she'd been pregnant was still sitting on his shoulders, and he felt the need to dote on her constantly. Her own guilt was bad enough, but having Lucas being the perfect, attending husband made things even worse. She'd had to practically force him out the door and onto this business trip, and now she was kind of upset to know that her time alone with her unborn child was over.

"Yeah," she stuttered. "I'm so glad he's home."

"And tell him if he leaves again while you're _about_ to freaking explode, I'll kill him," a laugh, and then a very manly, groggy voice could be heard in the background. "Oh, shit! Gotta go."

Unable to help herself, Brooke chuckled softly, clicking the phone off and tossing it down on the bed. She heard the front door close, and then Lucas shuffling around downstairs.

Deciding that, surprisingly, she _had_ kind of missed him, Brooke hobbled towards the stairs, waiting at the top for him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Lucas didn't seem to notice this as he took the steps two at a time, pulling her into him once he'd reached the top step. "Are you okay? How are you?" He murmured into her hair.

She pulled away from him, laughing. "I'm _fine_. I've been great." This wasn't entirely true. She'd spent about half the time he was away crying, but she was used to crying by now. It seemed, for the last two years, crying was the only constant in her life.

"Good, because I'm never leaving again. I mean it. You're going to get sick of me."

"I already kind of am." She rubbed her nose against his playfully.

Lucas bent down so his face was level with her stomach. "Hey, baby. How are you doing, little one?"

Brooke smiled. Lucas would be a great father. If there was anything she was sure of these days, this was it. Over the past eight months, she had watched him read every baby book possible, go to all her birthing class and actually _listen_ with an attentiveness she could not understand, and just overall become extremely prepared. She had to admit it had warmed her heart, watching all this.

At the same time, every smile from Lucas, every time he touched her stomach, she felt that she was robbing someone else of this very same luxury. She felt an unexplainable grief within her, like she was mourning the loss of a life. And in a way, she was.

Since that day in her old baby's nursery, her and Lucas had truly worked their hardest to be happy, to make things better. She was now nearly due and so pregnant she couldn't see her feet anymore, and she and Lucas had in a way, never been happier. This baby provided them with things to talk about before bed and when they went out to dinner, but underneath all these layers, she wasn't sure what was left of their relationship.

Lucas lifted himself back up to kiss her cheek. "Why are you still standing?"

"I'm," she didn't even know where these words were coming from, but she felt like she had to get out of the house for a few minutes. "I'm actually going to Peyton's for a little while."

Surprisingly, Lucas did not object. "I was thinking we'd order in from that Italian place tonight. You could take a long bath, I'll give you a massage…"

Brooke laughed. "_You're _the one that just got back from a stressful business trip, so _I'm_the one that should be doing the massaging."

"Alright, well I think we'll both have a good laugh watching you try." He kissed her once more, and she giggled at the mental image of herself trying to massage Lucas with her swollen ankles and belly out to_there_.

As she walked down the stairs, clutching the keys tightly to her chest, however, she allowed the smile to drop from her face.

She knew where she was going the second she turned on the car's ignition.

* * *

Nathan Scott's apartment building was much bluer than she remembered. There were more cars than she recalled seeing, less plants. Noticing all these things, she recognized, was her way of procrastinating. Since the announcement of her pregnancy, Nathan had become something of a hermit, which, when questioned by Lucas, he said was because he was working on some huge architectural design. She didn't fool herself into thinking this was true.

Brooke mounted the steps slowly, her legs wobbly underneath the weight of her upper body. She tired easily these days, obviously a factor of her pregnancy. But it was more than that. She found she was never hungry, eating only enough to keep the baby happy. She wasn't sure why her appetite had abandoned her, but she had a feeling it had something to do with the person she was about to see.

She stood before his apartment door with anxiety and a nervous fluttering in her stomach, like she had hundreds of times before. Only this time is was so, so different.

Her knocks were short and fast, and a part of her hoped he would not answer. She heard a shuffling from within, and took a step backwards, awaiting him. Brooke tried to remember the last time she'd seen Nathan, and an image from the month before popped into her head. Nathan had come over for dinner, something Lucas forced him to do at least twice a month. She could remember staring at him, trying to understand what had become of the two of them, what had changed so much over the years.

The door opened and there was Nathan, her Nathan. Or was he her Nathan? Did even a part of him belong to her? There was a small thunder of kicks inside her stomach, and she knew the answer to her own question.

"Hey," he said, leaning against the frame, arms crossed over his chest. He'd been working out, she could tell.

Brooke bit her lower lip. "Hi, Nathan. Can I come in?"

Nathan hesitated. "Um, does Lucas know you're here?"

"Uh-huh," she lied, forcing a smile. "Come on, Nate. It's freezing out here."

Brooke forced herself to meet his eyes, and she recognized a certain brokenness that she realized she'd caused. They were wide and deep, and so much sadder than she remembered them being after Haley had left him.

His eyes flickered down over her stomach, and wordlessly, he stepped aside.

The apartment was exactly how she remembered it.

"What are you doing here?" She turned to face him. He was playing nervously with his left ring finger, a nervous habit he'd acquired from wearing a ring there for so many years.

This, she could not answer. Brooke had gotten into the car needing an escape from Lucas, and had instantly had a feeling she should come here. She hadn't been sure what she would say or what she was expecting to happen, but she'd needed to see him.

"I'm not really sure."

"Oh."

"I guess," she sighed. "Well, it's just that I'm almost due. It's just a few more weeks now, and I thought…"

Nathan cleared his throat. "Brooke, I'm kind of busy here, so if you're here for a reason, you might as well just say it."

"You've really played no part in this pregnancy--"

"Whose fault is that?" He accused, his eyes suddenly growing dark.

"I know," she assured him. "I know it's my fault, okay? But I thought maybe you'd… maybe you'd want to talk to the baby? I know it's a little late, but she can probably hear you."

"She?" his voice cracked, and she felt the tough demeanor he was showing her begin to fade away.

Brooke nodded, tears filling her own eyes. "Lucas wanted it to be a surprise, and I thought I did too, but I just couldn't help myself.."

"A girl," he said softly. "I don't know. I don't think I want to talk to your stomach."

"They can really hear you though. I think, I think she knows I'm here." They must have looked so ridiculous, standing there in his living room, both of them fighting back tears, staring at each other unsurely.

"Why do you think she knows you're here?" It was only hitting her now just how terrible this situation was. How dreadfully she had ruined one person's life in order to salvage another's.

"Because she hasn't stopped kicking since you opened the door."

His eyes were shining now, bright, and his voice trembled as he said, "Do you think she knows who I am?"

"She's never kicked like this before."

Swallowing hard, Nathan took a few steps towards her. She missed his touch, she realized. She missed the way he held her.

Reaching forward, Brooke grabbed Nathan's hand, pressing it firmly against her abdomen. Sure enough, the baby was kicking like crazy.

He let out something that was a mix between a laugh and a sob, his eyes wide with amazement.

They stared hard at each other, and she recognized by the way he was looking at her that he wanted to kiss her.

"Go ahead," she said, and for a second she wondered if he thought she was telling him to kiss her. She clarified, "talk to her."

Shakily, Nathan bent down on one knee, lifting up the thin fabric of her off-white tunic slowly. He placed his hands on her stomach. "H-hi, baby. It's me, Nathan."

Brooke fought back tears, ignoring the way her skin tingled from Nathan's touch.

He looked strangely uncomfortable, but oddly at ease. "I guess I just want to say that I love you, and that I'm sorry things have to be this way."

If she could have, she would have dropped to her knees, she would have taken him into her arms, and held him until she couldn't hold him anymore.

"I'll always be here," he was fighting to get the words out now, his chest heaving up and down with pain, "I'll always be here."

He pushed himself to a standing position, pulling down her tunic so it covered her stomach. She wiped a stray tear from underneath his eye, and then lowered her hand, feeling guilty for it.

"I should probably be getting home."

He nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking down.

"How've you been?"

"I've been fine," he shrugged. "Busy working."

She could not help herself. "Are you still dating that girl?" The last time Nathan had visited her and Lucas, he'd told them of this girl he was seeing. Her name was Shannon, or Hannah or something. Brooke and Lucas had seen them together once. They'd been driving home from dinner, and had seen the two standing outside a movie theater, deciding on what they should watch. Nathan's arm had been loosely draped over the girl's, who was giggling at something he'd said. Her hair was nearly Brooke's shade, and she wore a skirt so short it left hardly anything to the imagination. Brooke could distinctly remember thinking she had looked stupid.

"Yeah." Nathan nodded truthfully, and she felt a stab of jealousy.

"She's not good enough for you." She blurted out before she could stop herself.

"I think you should probably go now." Nathan looked at the ground, scuffing the carpet with his Adidas sneaker.

She nodded, not even looking at him as she waddled towards the door.

"Brooke," he said.

She turned.

"I like the name Gabriella. For a girl."

"I don't," she told him matter-of-factly, her lower lip trembling, and then left.

* * *

"How about Gabriella?"

Peyton Sawyer scoffed. She and her boyfriend, Jake Jagielski were laying side by side on their bed, only facing different directions. Jake's head was at the foot at the bed, while hers was at the crown. In both their hands were matching copies of the book entitled, '101 Baby Names For You!'.

"Please. That's _so_ something Brooke would name her child. Ventura?"

"Uh, veto. Gretel?"

"As in Hansel?"

"Got it. Owen?"

"Hey!" She smacked his leg. "It was my turn. But yeah, I actually kind of like that."

They weren't pregnant or even close at this point, but since they'd been trying for a child, neither of them could help themselves, buying baby books to prepare themselves. Of course, Jake had already raised a baby once, but they didn't speak often of Jenny. It was too painful for Jake, and it hurt her to see him hurt.

"Owen Jagielski." Jake said softly, laying the book on his chest and rubbing his hand slowly up and down Peyton's calf.

"I'm surprised. That name actually sounds good with your stupid last name." She joked, and he pinched her.

"Hey! It's a _cool_ last name. Different."

"Jewish."

"Well, our kids are going to be Jewish."

Peyton laughed. "_If_ they want to be. They can be whatever they want."

"Owen," he began, "will definitely be a spinal surgeon."

"With a talent for guitar and drawing." Peyton added.

"He'll go to Yale."

"Brown." She corrected.

"Liberal."

"Obviously."

She giggled. "He'll be a great older brother to his younger sister…"

"…Kirsten."

"She'll be blonde, with curly hair."

"Of course. Look at us," he propped himself up on his elbows. "Our kids are destined to have serious afros."

"Oh, come on, man. Don't jinx our kids."

"Too late. They were jinxed the day I was born."

She lifted herself up, bringing herself down beside Jake. She kissed his chest, covered only by a plain white t-shirt. He kissed her forehead, and together, they stared up at the ceiling.

They had begun dating months before, after weeks and weeks of clear buildup. There hadn't been a true courtship, it had just sort of happened. She'd never been happier, despite having broken off a relationship with her amazing next door neighbor, Dave. Dave had moved two months before, and she couldn't help but feel a slight tug of guilt, knowing that she was probably the reason.

She and Jake had found each other again, and she knew it would never be over between them. He was her soulmate, he was _it_ for her.

"I can't wait to have kids with you, Jake Jagielski." She snuggled into him, and he sighed contently.

"Me either, Peyton. Afro-haired, art and musically inclined children."

* * *

Brooke leaned against the door as she pushed it closed, clearing her throat slightly. She felt a dull pain shoot through her lower abdomen, and she ran a hand over her belly. Her back had been aching since she'd left Nathan's, and it was gradually spreading to her stomach in a slightly annoying manner.

She could hear Lucas shuffling around in the kitchen, and she hesitated slightly before walking up the stairs, dropping her purse and jacket along the way.

Brooke chuckled softly as she reached her bathroom. It seemed like this place was a frequent hideout for her, from Lucas, from the world.

Her eyes landed on a black and white photograph on the wall. She'd taken it long before she'd started seeing Nathan, sometime after he'd first moved in. It was the one day of December that year that had been warm, and they'd taken advantage. Lucas and Nathan were sitting on the fancy lawn chairs outside, both wearing shorts and matching sneakers (that had been accidental, of course.) They had looked so… _brotherly_ that Brooke had not been able to help herself. She'd snapped this photo of them and had instantly deemed it a masterpiece, hanging one copy up in the front entrance, and another in the bathroom, which had needed a little warming up.

Now, the laughing brothers in the picture haunted her, and as she reached forward to touch the picture, she felt another pain, this one more sharp and lower, rip through her.

Brooke let out a slight gasp, stumbling to her knees. In another short minute, another pain hit her, leaving her in a wave of nausea.

She leaned against the bathtub, breathing so loudly she was sure Lucas could hear her from below.

"Luke!" She managed to shout, bracing herself for the next pain. "Lucas!"

The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Nathan and Lucas, smiling back at her with an unknowing love, not aware of all the pain she'd cause them, of all the tragedy she'd bestow upon their lives.


	40. You're All We've Got

_**Author's Note: **_While reading this chapter, I'd suggest listening to 'Anabel' by Midlake. That's what I was listening to during a lot of the writing. Now, first, I know this chapter is a lot shorter than most of the others, and I know it's not the best, but I just couldn't get it to come out the way I wanted.

Second, this is our 40th chapter! Can you believe that? I can't. It's been a long journey, and there's only about eight chapters left. Eight! Isn't that weird?

Third, I'd like to thank **Tamarindo** for leaving… pretty much a novel. I mean, I've gotten good reviews before (from all of you, of course. Heh) but this was an _amazing_ review. Thanks to **every reader of this story** for just reading. I know it's hard on a lot of you who don't agree with the choices I make, but those of you that stick with me… I hope you're finding the journey is worth it.

* * *

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Forty: You're All We've Got**_

Her eyelids felt like cinderblocks as she attempted to pull them open. Her first feeling was tired, so, so tired, and the room was very bright.

Allowing her eyes to slowly adjust to the light of the hospital room, she frowned trying to remember how she'd even ended up here. A dull pain down below reminded her, and she placed her right hand on her stomach.

Her heart dropped. Her stomach felt so much flatter than she remembered. In fact, it was almost as if she'd never been pregnant to begin with. The only reminder was a small bump, small enough to be confused with a simply chubby stomach.

Brooke groaned, reaching for the small button she knew to be the nurse call button. She'd been in a hospital room exactly like this before; she had woken up confused and scared, and had later received some of the worst news of her life. She knew what was coming.

How had she not expected this? Did she really think fate or karma would let her keep this baby? Still, she felt a wave of sorrow wrench through her. This was not fair. She had been a good person once, she was trying, still, to be a good person.

The door opened, and a nurse stepped in, smiling brightly. Behind her was her husband, holding a small bundle in his arms and grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

Brooke sat up. "What happened?"

"Well, Mrs. Scott," the nurse chirped, pulling open the blinds and flooding more light into the room. Brooke suddenly felt wide awake. "You had yourself a little baby girl. Did a fantastic job in the delivery room. Hardly shouted any obscenities."

Lucas chuckled, carefully seating himself in the chair beside Brooke. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up. I went to get her."

Tears filled Brooke's eyes as she was suddenly reminded of the birth; painful, emotional, and beautiful. She remembered holding the baby in her arms for just a few seconds before exhaustion took over and she could no longer force her eyes open.

The baby cooed gorgeously in Lucas's arms. She was swaddled tightly in a pink blanket, her button nose already looking similar to Brooke's.

"Do you want to hold her?" He had tears in his own eyes.

Brooke did want to hold her. But more than that, she felt that if she touched this baby, she'd contaminate it. All her life, Brooke Davis had been fucking up, and she did not want to let this child catch her disease. She did not want to love this baby just to end up hurting it.

"I," she shook her head, "I'm really tired."

Lucas looked disappointed for a moment. His eyes searched hers, knowing for the first time in months that she was lying, that she was not happy. He covered it up instantaneously, nodding and placing a light kiss on their child's forehead.

Brooke looked away, and then, unable to help herself, looked back.

The baby girl was beautiful. Her skin was a shade of ivory, dusted with a random placement of freckles. Her hair was very dark, and her eyes, gleaming up at Brooke so innocently, were the bluest she'd ever seen. They were Nathan's eyes, and it was so apparent, she could not help but allow her gaze to flicker up at Lucas, to see if he'd noticed, like her. He had not.

This baby was unlike all the wrinkly newborns she had seen before. She was different, _special_. She would be smart and feisty, and Brooke was sure she'd have dimples, too.

"Is Nathan here?" She could not help herself.

"Yeah," he nodded. "He just got here a few minutes ago. I was going to take him to see the baby in a few minutes."

"Oh," she allowed her hand to venture off the bed, her fingers gliding over her baby's soft cheek. "God, she is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen."

"She definitely has my good looks." Lucas joked, and Brooke laughed a hollow laugh. How often would she hear jokes like this from him, or would she hear him utter the words 'my daughter'? For how long would this make her wince?

"So, do you have any ideas for her name? I can't believe we didn't discuss this more beforehand.. I was thinking--"

"Gabriella."

He repeated it softly to himself, then said, "I like that. I also kind of like--"

"No, Gabriella. Her name has to be Gabriella." Nathan's words echoed painfully through her head, and she sighed.

"Okay. Gabriella Scott," he looked down at their baby. "Yeah, I like that. What about a middle name?"

"Anna," Brooke spoke, not truly sure where the words were coming from. "After Peyton's mom."

"Gabriella Anna Scott," Lucas spoke thoughtfully, "it's perfect."

"I can't believe she's finally here." Both of them looked up towards the doorway, where Nathan Scott stood, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes went from the baby to Brooke, then back again.

Lucas laughed. "Come and hold your niece, man."

Brooke winced, but Nathan didn't make any movement. He had accepted his role in Gabriella's life, it seemed.

Nathan took a step into the room. "I think Peyton and Jake are here. I saw crazy blonde curls and then I heard her asking if anyone knew where Brooke's room was."

"Oh, I'll go get her." Lucas nodded, standing to place the baby in his brother's arms.

Nathan gulped as he held her, slowly moving to take Lucas's seat in the chair beside Brooke. His large fingers stroked at her hair, and then over her arm. Giggling, Gabriella reached upwards to grab his finger in her hand, squeezing as tightly as she could.

"What's her name?" He looked up to meet Brooke's eyes, and she smiled a tired smile at him.

"Gabriella."

His jaw clenched and he nodded. "Thanks," he managed.

"She looks exactly like you." Brooke told him in a whisper.

"Well," he joked softly, "there's some of you in there. I definitely see a dimple. And her nose… _so_ not me."

They shared a quiet laugh. Brooke reached over to squeeze his hand. "I miss you so much sometimes."

Nathan nodded, lowering his eyes once more to Gabriella. "It's actually kind of better this way. I can be her cool uncle. I won't have to," he looked back up at Brooke, "you know, drive her to school. Or punish her when she's bad. Or scare her boyfriends away when she's older.." his voice cracked, and he looked back down at the baby, kissing her forehead, then her nose, and cheeks. Inhaling her, mesmerizing her.

"Maybe," she began, "maybe I should tell Lucas. I mean--"

Nathan shook his head. "You're not going to tell Lucas. Especially not after he just… became a dad. He's wanted this for a lot longer than me, and after everything I've done to him, it doesn't really seem fair taking that away."

"Okay, mommy," the nurse was re-entering the room, "time to feed."

Nathan stood, handing the nurse the baby. As he began to leave, she turned back to him. "You're welcome to stay if mommy's okay with it."

"I'm fine with it."

He nodded and leaned himself against the doorway. She guessed it was so he could leave the second she was done.

The nurse approached her with a smile, pressing Gabriella carefully into her arms. As Brooke's arms folded underneath her child's weight, she felt a great sense of relief wash through her. She really was a mother, she was _this_ baby's mother. She had made Gabriella and carried her and delivered her, and here she was, the most beautiful baby in the universe.

Even if all else would fail, she'd always have her little baby.

"So," she looked up at the nurse hesitantly, and then looked over at Nathan quickly, embarrassed. "I don't… I don't know what to do."

"Let me help you, sweetie." Nathan watched with a blush as the nurse pulled down Brooke's hospital gown, laughing and talking to Brooke casually as she did. He swallowed hard, trying not to look at the place the baby was eyeing hungrily.

Brooke made a face he could not decipher and then let out a small gasp. "This is so strange. This is the weirdest… wow."

She laughed lightly, looking up to meet his gaze. She looked so beautiful then. With her hair messily splayed around her shoulders, still somehow straight, her face filled with color, with some form of true happiness.

From down the hallway, Nathan could hear Peyton's voice. "…and then the stupid car _crashed_ into me! Can you believe that? I was like, um, hey asshole, you're really lucky my best friend is in labor, otherwise I'd be kicking your.. Oh my god!"

She pushed past Nathan, squealing excitedly in an un-Peyton-like fashion, cooing over Gabriella and Brooke _feeding_ Gabriella. Jake followed shortly with Lucas, shaking his head and saying something along the lines of, "_She_ completely crashed into him."

As the two men entered, Nathan felt more uncomfortable than he had before. Like he was intruding with his secrets. "I have to get back to work, I think." He said.

Lucas frowned. "Why? Keith's on his way here with my mom, so I doubt he'll be mad if you're not at work."

"I'm working on something else. But hey man, this was really great. I'm so happy for you guys." He looked over to the bed. Brooke's gaze was now on his, and he waved a small wave at her as he left.

Gabriella Anna Scott was born and everything changed and everything stayed the same.


	41. Did I Forget That I Said I'd Be There?

_**Author's Notes: **_Are you guys still here? Because I am, I really am. I know that I'm the worst updater in the world, but you guys are the best reviewers in the world. I was reading over them last night -- _just_ for the last chapter -- and I honestly began to tear up. You guys are fantastic and you deserve better than me updating once every three months.

This chapter is short but necessary, and everything is sort of going to change after this. I'll be on vacation for the next three weeks or so, but when I get back, I'm going to work hard to get the rest of the story out to you, hopefully before summer ends.

Thank you so much, and I hope you like it.

* * *

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Forty-One: Did I Forget That I Said I'd Be There?**_

A cry echoed through the house. Soft first, and then louder. Before long, the cry became a wail, loud and beckoning to the young sleeping parents.

Brooke covered her ears, and when that did not work, attempted to do so using a pillow.

Lucas, always the deep sleeper, would not stir for several minutes.

The young wife sighed as the child's wails grew heartbreaking. She was exhausted. She did not want to have to get up and breast feed or sing the baby back to sleep. She wanted to succumb to her own dreams, didn't her baby understand that she needed an escape too?

Her husband only began to show signs of life after several moments had passed, and when he groaned, beginning to sit up, Brooke murmured, "The baby's up."

"I noticed," he said this as he said all things when he'd just woken up. In a voice gravelly and deep, that had once left her weak in the knees. She could still remember mornings when they'd first started dating, how she had always loved to hear him whisper to her when they were just waking up. "Are you coming?"

She sighed, still not lifting her head from the pillow.

Lucas did not wait for her to answer.

-

The months following Gabriella's birth were a strange time for everyone.

Lucas began to write. He had always loved the craft, but had never really practiced it. One afternoon, home alone with the baby, he had gotten bored and opened a word document. This soon turned into a constant; before work, during work, after work. Most of the time, he wrote short stories, most of them mirroring his life in ways he himself could not understand, or would not let himself.

Nathan once again became a frequent fixture at the Scott household. Though this made life difficult for Brooke, she did not complain. She watched sullenly as he cuddled with their child, trying to take on the role of uncle though he so desperately wanted to be Gabriella's father.

Brooke found that she was fading. Disappearing into this life she had created for herself. Instead of fighting it, she embraced it. She began shopping on a daily basis, collecting impressive numbers on her credit cards and making new friends with the Stepford Wives of Tree Hill.

Gabriella grew into a healthy, strong baby. She didn't cry often, and giggled frequently. She was a happy child, the spitting image of her parents. She grew to know her fathers the best; Lucas, who she saw daily and loved because of his sweet disposition and his unyielding care for her. And Nathan, her real father, who she was connected to for reasons she would never get the chance to understood.

The two men made Gabriella their entire lives, and at the center of everything, sad and beautiful as she always was, was Brooke.

-

When Lucas returned to bed, he collapsed almost instantaneously.

From where she lay, Brooke could hear his breathing become rhythmic. Slowly, his body sunk deeper into the bed, and before long, he was out.

At first, she did nothing.

She stared at the ceiling, listened to the noises coming from outside. She could hear a car slowly pulling into a driveway a couple houses over, a dog barking in a neighborhood far away, the crickets and the wind.

Then, after she was completely positive Lucas was asleep, she slid out from under the covers.

-

Since she'd been a child, there had always been an unpleasantness in Brooke's life. Growing up, it had been her self-destructive behavior and tendency towards things that weren't good for her. Then, it had been the loss of her child. And finally Nathan and all that came with him.

It was not that Nathan was wrong for her, or that when she was with him, she was unhappy. It was all the wrong that came with him. It was the pain and the hurt she was both causing and feeling. It was the aftermath, it was their child.

Brooke, upon the birth of her child, did not miraculously climb from her plummet downwards. She did not become mother of the year, and she did not find happiness in her family, like she'd hoped she would.

Lucas worried from afar, but said nothing, and she almost wished he would. She almost wished he would yell at her and tell her he hated her and that she was ruining the life they'd made together slowly but surely, but he said nothing. Instead, he tried to find opportunities to leave mother and daughter alone to bond. He tried to get Brooke interested in things pertaining to motherhood. He failed to acknowledge that she was suffering from some severe from of postpartum depression, that she was detached because of something even bigger than them.

The thing was, Lucas could not comprehend what was wrong with their lives. He was not their to witness her downfall, and had not even the slightest clue of her relationship with Nathan. Lucas, in his good-natured naivety, had no idea that he himself was involved in a lie so large, it could kill him if it were to come out. Brooke and Nathan were left to stir in their guilt, Gabriella a constant reminder. But Lucas did not know, so therefore, no one could blame him for thinking the problem was smaller than the catastrophe it actually was.

-

She walked slowly through the hallway, enjoying the way the soft light of the night came through the skylights. Of course, she was also sure to be quiet, not wanting to wake Lucas or the baby.

As she entered Gabriella's room, she was overcome with a swelling of love in her heart for the child. She knew that she did not interact with Gabriella much when others were around, or even when the child knew of it, but nighttime was _their_ time. She could sing and stroke and Gabriella would sleep and coo, and sometimes she would even wake and stare up at her mother in that curious awe that babies sometimes have.

Brooke leaned over the cradle where Gabriella slept, and stroked her soft forehead. She was so perfect it was almost unbelievable. There was not a flaw on her.

She sat there for a while, quietly admiring her baby and wishing so badly that she could be better, that they could be happy. She wanted to be better than this. She wanted to be good for Lucas, and she wanted to be good for this baby.

She pressed her lips firmly to Gabriella's head, and as she pulled away, whispered, "I love you more than anything in this world, little one. I hope you always know that."

Babies could sense things. Perhaps, despite Brooke's lack of contribution to the relationship, Gabriella knew how much her mother loved her.

Brooke made her way back to the bedroom and laid down as silently as she could.

She blinked up at the ceiling.

Somehow, her gaze wound up on Lucas, laying on his stomach with his arms bent underneath the pillow and his head resting atop it. He looked beautiful, like he always did.

She lifted a hand so that it rested against Lucas's shoulder. She allowed her fingers to caress his skin, so soft and warm.

Biting her lip, she lifted one of his arms, which hung limp in her grasp for a moment, and then lowered it over her shoulders, moving in closer so that their foreheads were touching and she could feel the soft breath he was exhaling from his nose.

A tear made its way down her face and she did not understand.

For the first time since she'd known him, she did not feel safe in Lucas Scott's arms.


	42. Where Do I Begin?

**Author's Note: **Um.. so I guess I lied last summer when I said I was going to start updating quicker. But hey, I'm guessing you guys thought I wouldn't update at all! And what better a time than Christmas? I'm really, really sorry. I've had an interesting last few months and let's face it, OTH hasn't been much help. LP make me want to kill myself, and Lucas and Peyton just aren't the characters they were when the show began! So! Moving on. There are six chapters left, and I'm hoping inspiration will be nicer than it has been recently, and I'll get them out to you soon!

Thank you so much for all the reviews, and keep 'em coming! (Although I understand if you feel the need to punish me and not review.)

Oh, and this chapter is kind of.. well, you'll see. Things are different than you'll remember.

Also! A little shameless plug. I started a new story (which you should check out) called To Build a Home, and it's a definite BL. I think a lot of you BL-ers who are currently planning out my elaborate death will appreciate that one. It's AU, but when am I not? So read this, review, and then go read that! Hehe.

_**Movie Script Ending**_

_**Chapter Forty-two: Where Do I Begin?**_

It was the perfect time of fall. The leaves fell in colorful patterns on the ground, the sun still came out in the afternoon, and the wind sounded almost melodic as it blew past you.

The best part was being inside, where you were sure to have a warm cup of cocoa just waiting to be sipped at, and the heating was turned up full blast. The extra privileged families kept their pools heated, their fireplaces lit, never for a moment allowing themselves to fall into the abomination that was the feeling of discomfort.

Gabriella Scott looked outside the window of her playful, childlike bedroom. Drawings and paintings plastered the walls, dolls littered the floor, and the bedspread of her pink and red "big girl" bed was already made and ready for her, like it always was.

At just three--and a half, she would always remind you-- years old, she was already showing signs that she'd ultimately grow to be as beautiful as her mother. Her hair fell in dark rings around her shoulders, soft in the way only a child's hair can be. Her nose was small and button-like, while her bone structure was already sculpted beneath the baby fat that was sure to encompass it. Her dimpled cheeks were wide and happy, her chin small and rounded. It was her eyes that glittered though, the part of her that always made anyone she met stop to take a double look. Large and shaped just like her mother's, and piercingly ice blue. From her father, people said. Her mother, however, often argued that her eyes did not belong to her father. They'd cuddle in bed and Brooke would kiss her temple and whisper, "Those eyes are all yours, baby."

Snow, she was thinking. When would the snow come? Truthfully, she didn't see the point in cold if there was no snow. She reached a palm out, pressing it against the cool pane of the glass. The cold against her warm body caused her to shiver, and impulsively, she leaned forward, pressing her lips and mouth against the glass, giggling at how strange it felt.

"Gabby," a voice sounded from behind her, startling her. "What are you doing, silly girl? It's time for dinner."

Gabriella smiled at her nanny, Cecilia. For as long as she could remember, Cecilia had been her closest friend. They did a lot together, especially when her mommy and daddy were going out, or if her daddy was away, or if her mommy wanted to be left alone. She knew Ceci, who had long, pretty black hair, had a family of her own, but to Gabriella, she was apart of _her_ family.

"Ceci," she said, "when do you think it will snow?"

Cecilia shrugged, coming to the window and lifting Gabriella up into the air. The girl protested in giggles and shrieks. "Come on, _mija_. Tu mamá te quiere comer la cena ahora.."

They descended the stairs, walking through the house to the kitchen. Once they'd reached the kitchen, Cecilia gingerly dropped Gabriella into the new dining-table Lucas had had built in the year before.

The house had in fact made several changes to accommodate Gabriella. If you had walked in here three and a half years ago, shortly after her birth, the house would have had a different atmosphere. Now, there was the jungle gym and swing set outside, there were the toys that littered the ground, the G-rated movies in every room. There was the constant _living _of the house. There was always a fairy-tale to be acted out, a game of freeze tag to play, play-dates with the children of neighbors. Gabriella had brightened up the Scott household considerably, and would not let anyone forget it.

"Where's mama and daddy?" Though she didn't typically eat with her parents, they were usually around the house somewhere. Tonight, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen either of them.

As if summoned, the familiar click of Brooke Scott's heels echoed through the hallway, coming towards them. She entered the kitchen in a flustered mess of perfection. Hastily fastening in an earring, she entered in search of her cell phone, eyes never making it to her daughter's.

"Cecilia, have you seen my phone?" She asked, circling the counter.

"Mama, come here," Gabriella spoke up, arms open, waiting for a kiss.

Brooke smiled briefly, approaching her daughter quickly and placing a quick kiss on the top of her head. Gabriella inhaled deeply, the smell of her mother's perfume lingering even after she'd walked back to the counter. Brooke's hair was curled, framing her face. She wore a black dress that cut to her thighs, pearls fastened around her neck. She looked elegant, as she always did; beautiful.

Lucas entered then, in a suit, in pursuit of his car keys. His eyes locked on Brooke for a moment as he watched her flip through the mail on the counter, and then, swallowing, he looked away. His eyes landed on his daughter and he approached her with a grin, lifting her off the counter and tickling her.

"Lucas," Brooke said, almost impatiently. "We have to go."

He nodded, placing a final kiss on Gabriella's head. "You better be in bed when we get back, you little monster."

"Where are you going?" Gabriella complained, tugging at his shirt with a pout.

"Mommy and daddy are going to dinner."

"I want to go!"

"Gabby," Cecilia placed her hands on her hips in mock hurt. "But what about the wonderful meal I made you?"

Chin trembling, eyes threatening to water, Gabriella sat back down, resting her chin on her small hand and sniffling loudly.

Lucas stroked her hair, watching as Brooke approached Cecilia. A little known fact about Brooke was that, having grown up with nannies from Spanish-speaking countries her entire life, she was nearly fluent in Spanish, and spoke in a beautiful, well-accented tone.

He himself could not understand what she was saying, but every so often, the two girls would laugh, or Brooke would nod in understanding as Cecilia replied to her.

Try as he might, he could simply not stop himself from staring. If possible, Brooke had managed to stop the aging process in its steps, instead, remaining as flawless as ever. It was amazing to him how she looked, sometimes. Especially now, in her black, cocktail dress. He bit his cheek, wanting to simply grab her and kiss her. But they hadn't been that kind of couple for a long time.

Finally, Brooke kissed Cecilia on the cheek, then gestured towards him. "Let's go," she said, before rushing to place a quick kiss on Gabriella's--who was still, bless her heart, pouting away-- forehead. "Have fun, sweetie."

"Don't leave!" Gabriella burst.

This happened often with her. She had severe separation anxiety from both of her parents, probably because there were many times where both weren't around. Lucas tried to be as attentive a parent he could, but he sometimes wondered if Brooke took the job as seriously. Immediately after thinking this thought, he mentally scolded himself, watching as Brooke reasoned with the girl, promising she could go to bed a half hour later than usual.

Still, as they left, Gabriella whimpered and whimpered, eventually managing to be lured back to the table by the television being turned on.

In the car, the couple rode in silence, the only noise being the whirring of the air conditioning in the car, shooting warm air towards them.

Lucas checked his watch. "Damnit."

Brooke turned to face him. "What?"

"We're late again. We're _always_ the last people to get there."

Brooke laughed. "Well, everyone expects it from us, anyway. Plus, it's not like we're going to some important meal. It's just dinner with friends."

"Still. For once, I'd like to be the first people there. Just to shock them."

"Sweetie, if showing up on time is meant to shock people, we are very, _very_ boring people."

He looked over to smile at her, but she was gazing out the window. Sometimes he couldn't help but notice how sad she looked. It didn't even seem like there was a particular reason, most of the time. She just seemed to be in such a faraway trance, as if she were hoping she were somewhere else. It scared him, terrified him, even. He wondered if one day she would pick up and leave him. The thought of it was too difficult to even begin to imagine, so instead, he always tried to push down the feeling, reminding himself that they had a daughter together, that she could not just pick up and leave.

"I wish it would snow," she said in a voice just above a whisper, and he looked out through the windshield.

"I don't think it's going to snow. It's just not cold enough this year."

"Have some optimism, Luke." She smiled at him in a way that reminded him of when they were young, and he felt his heart flutter.

"Okay." He swallowed.

It saddened him that he couldn't reach over and squeeze her knee without feeling slightly nervous. Like perhaps she would brush away his hand. Since Gabriella's birth, there had been this invisible wall between them. There was nothing he could do to knock it down. He had no idea, not the slightest clue, how it had gotten there. And somehow, he felt like that was the problem.

"I hope Nathan doesn't bring that girl again. _God_, she was awful." Lucas groaned out loud. She really had been. Not only annoying and obnoxious, but she'd ordered half the menu, and hadn't even offered to chip in.

This got his wife's attention. "I know, right? Where was she from, she had the worst accent. Like.. somewhere in the East.."

"Boston.."

"..or Philadelphia.."

"Maybe it was Chicago. She said something about deep dish pizza." He recalled, crinkling his nose.

Brooke laughed, her eyes on him now. He turned to look at her, and for a moment he could see that she still loved him. That not all hope was lost. "I was just going to say that," she said, almost shyly, her beautiful grin wide and real.

As the restaurant came into view, he almost cursed it. He wanted to have started this conversation earlier in the car ride, he wanted to talk more, just the two of them.

He remembered they were late, and wished they would have been later.

-

They were at their usual table. Peyton with her crazy, blonde curls, Jake with the smile voted "most beautiful" in high school, and Nathan being.. well, Nathan. Everything wrong and right in the world at the same time. Just as he'd always been.

They'd started doing this dinner about eight months earlier. It was hard staying in contact with friends when you had a child or work, and having scheduled dinners seemed to be the only thing that stuck. It was nice, getting together with the old group. Familiar. Even with all the secrets that hung in the air between them, threatening to spill all over the table, there was still a certain comfort they found in the company of each other. They were all oldest friends, and nothing, no secrets, would change that.

"Well," Peyton beamed at the sight of her two friends. "Look who decided to show up only _ten_ minutes late."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd pick tonight to be almost on time." He reached for his wallet, handing a crisp twenty dollar bill over to Peyton, who jauntily took it and placed a kiss on his cheek in return.

Nathan smiled up at his brother and his brother's wife, a small smile that reminded Brooke of their daughter, even in all its differences. While Nathan's was small and fake, Gabriella had the happiest version of his smile. The smile that he saved only for the best occasions of his life. She could remember that night in the snow, years ago, when they had wrestled and danced, and how he had smiled at her so bravely, so freely. They had not known then what would become of them, and she felt sorry for the boy he'd been, unknowing of his ruined future. How strong he was now, she thought. He sat there and talked and laughed and pretended to be happy for the sake of his brother, and for her, even, when inside, he was a mess. He lived a lie and so did she, but at least she got the benefits of it.

The couple sat at the circular table, which had already been served its bread and butter. Their friends had also ordered drinks, and Brooke noticed that at the sight of them, Nathan had swallowed a huge gulp of his beer.

Over the past few years, he hadn't aged much at all. He was still as handsome as she could remember him being. There were still a couple months left until his 30th birthday, but if you didn't know him, you might guess he was in his early twenties. He still worked out plenty, and his arms showed it, bulging through the white button-up he wore.

Jake wore his age more obviously. The drama of searching for his daughter and then finally returning to Peyton had worn him out, and his laugh lines blended in with his worry lines in a way that made him look only sweeter. Peyton was as beautiful as Brooke could remember her being. Her hair the bright blonde it had been during their junior year, and her signature curls had never bothered to straighten themselves out. She wore a strapless white dress that reminded Brooke of the dress she'd worn to her and Jake's wedding, just two years prior. The ceremony had been beautiful, and Brooke had cried buckets. She was not sure if it was how beautiful Peyton had looked that day--so much like her mother--or how happy she had looked with Jake. Brooke had looked over at Lucas as the couple had said their "I do's" and she had wanted to ask him if, given the chance, he would take back their own vows.

"I'm thinking I want steak tonight." Peyton mused, flipped through the menu she already knew by heart. This was something she did. Ultimately, she would go with the chinese chicken salad and side of steamed vegetables, as she always did.

Nathan nodded. "Me too."

Peyton laughed. "Nathan, you're such a typical man. I don't mean, like, man-or-woman man, I mean, _man_. Let's-go-hunting-I'll-grab-the-beers _man_."

Nathan ran his hands through his hair, a motion that made Brooke shiver in her seat, and chuckled. "If you say so, Peyton."

"What about me?" Jake whined. "I'm a man."

"Men don't complain." Lucas puffed out his chest.

"Baby, you are definitely the manliest man I have ever met." Peyton beamed, kissing his neck. It was a motion that made Jake blush, and Brooke couldn't help but smile. He certainly was a man. A few months before, she and Peyton had gotten very drunk and Peyton had admitted to Brooke that Jake was the only person who could really keep her on her toes. Lucas, she'd said, was very tender and sweet. But it was Jake who would slam her against a wall in passion or kiss her so hard she felt it throughout her entire body. For a moment, Brooke had wondered what it would be like to kiss Jake, and had remembered a moment in middle school when they almost had. If she had married Jake, she reasoned, her life would have ended up far less complicated. But it was too late now.

She spoke up. "I think I want the tortellini."

Nathan shook his head. "Didn't you say it made you feel sick last time you had it?"

It was rare for him to address her during these dinners, and she felt her heart begin to pick up its pace. He made her so nervous sometimes. "Oh, r-right," she stuttered. "I guess I'll have the chicken."

Lucas nodded. "I'm going to have the chicken, too."

As the waiter came by and took their orders, Brooke noticed Nathan smile at her from across the table. It was a peace offering, she realized. He wanted them to be okay. She smiled back.

"Um.. you know, I think I'll just have the chinese chicken salad with.. um.. a side of steamed vegetables," Peyton said.

-

They were waiting outside for the valets to bring their cars around.

Brooke's coat was wrapped tightly around her and as the cold wind hit her, she rocked back and forth. "I'm freezing," she said under her breath, seemingly to no one in particular.

"It's because you have no body fat," Jake spoke in a factual manner. "The less body fat you have, the more naturally cold you are."

She blinked. "You're a freak."

"Hey, it's just common sense.."

"I'm kidding with you, Jake." She hip-bumped him playfully.

Nathan bit his lip. "I kind of have an announcement."

This got the attention of Brooke and Jake, who were standing in the middle of the group of friends, and also Peyton and Lucas, who were on the outskirts of either side.

"I was going to tell you earlier, but I just couldn't find the words to say it for some reason."

"What is it, Nate?" Lucas frowned, looking worried.

"Well, as all of you know, I've been kind of.. a hermit the past few years. I only see you guys occasionally and I'm always busy yet.. I don't seem to have a really time-consuming job."

"I always figured you were planning a bank job or something." Peyton joked.

Nathan made a face. "_Anyway_, I've been kind of working on this architectural design of an upper class apartment complex for the past few years. It's taken a lot of effort and has just been really, really time-consuming. But I finally finished about two and a half months ago, and I've been pitching the idea to all these big shot companies... and yesterday I got the news that it's going to be bought and built."

There was a general air of excitement, as Jake clapped him on the back and Lucas exclaimed, "That's great, man. I had no idea. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

He shrugged. "It was kind of a long-shot for a while there. But now that it's a sure thing, I'm going to be involved a lot. I'm finally going to be making money and probably getting more jobs."

"Making money is always a good thing," Peyton grinned. "I'm so proud of you, Nate. I always knew you had it in you to be great."

"Really? Even when I crashed your car that one time?" The group laughed, remembering for a moment how much simpler life had been back then.

Jake and Peyton's car pulled up, and the couple gave him their last congratulations before leaving. Nathan waved at them as they left, wishing he could go with them. Jake and Peyton's was always a nice place to be. Especially when it compared to being here with his brother and ex-lover.

"I'm so proud of you, Nathan. If anyone deserves this, it's you." Lucas told him with sincere eyes, and he swallowed.

"Oh, I don't know," his eyes flickered over to Brooke, who was looking anywhere but at the two of them.

"No, really, little brother. I'm really happy for you. I mean, this is great. Your dream is finally coming true!"

"I guess," Nathan laughed nervously, feeling thankful when Brooke and Lucas' car rolled up.

The couple made their way to the car, and before Lucas reached the driver's side, he said, "Let's go out tomorrow. Just the two of us. Celebrate!"

"Alright, man, sounds good." Nathan nodded with a smile.

Brooke paused as she reached the passenger side, slowly turning to look at him. The cold air hung between them and she smiled at him in a way he did not recognize. For a moment, he realized that if someone were watching them, they would know instantly of the affair. They would know there was something strong between these two people, and almost magnetic pull. He tried to tear his eyes away but found he could not, so instead he did not fight it.

"I always knew you could do it," she told him, and he knew that if there was anyone that had ever truly believed in him, it was not Lucas or Haley or his parents, but her. He took the compliment in and shuffled his feet nervously.

"Thanks," he said and nodded his head, wishing he could tell her how life-changing this was for him. How he'd woken up that morning for the first time in years and actually felt something akin to happiness.

"Bye Nathan."

And she was gone. And whatever sense of happiness he'd been feeling before rushed away from his body along with her.


End file.
